Destinies of the Past
by Merodi no Yami
Summary: *NEW!! CH.12 UP!* Yami has regained his memories, but someone has returned from the past with plans for revenge. Yugi's fallen into the Shadow Realm - will Yami be able to save him? Shounien ai - Y/Y. Tired of clichés? Click here and read! ^_^
1. The Calm Before The Storm

Merodi no Yami:  Hello everyone!  Your wonderful authoress here, hoping to entertain you with a fresh new story!  I'd introduce you to my yami and muse, but he's sleeping right now and I really don't need him causing havoc around here.  Fact, you can meet him in the next chapter, seeing as I am going to make him one of the characters – his name is Naito.  If you really want to meet him, go read my authoress page, but he'll be here later.

Well, enough talking – read!  (And do not fear, this is NOT a Mary-Sue.)

Disclaimer: I do not, and can never own Yu-Gi-Oh or their characters, aside from some of their merchandise, because I am a music major at college.  Music Major = No Job = POOR, so please don't sue me for anything.  I do, however, own Merodi – she is my character, no take!!  Grr!!  And no, this is NOT a Mary-Sue fic!

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

**Destinies of the Past – Chapter 1: The Calm Before the Storm**

****

****

********************Flashback*******************

_"I wish we knew more about our new enemy.  He said he was…familiar with the power of a Millennium Item.  …I bet he has one!"_

_"That must be how he controls people's minds.  It also seems he has knowledge of the ancient customs.  Our foe is somehow connected to the past."_

_"But who is he?"_

_"I don't know."_

**_"Then how can we stop him?!?"_**

Yami looked up at this sudden outburst, surprised.  Too late.  He had looked into those sparkling violet pools that had captivated him so long ago.  Yami could do nothing except stand there for a moment, wondering at the beauty of the creature in front of him – with the moonlight draping itself across Yugi's gentle form, and innocent eyes wide with apprehension, Yami's heart stopped – well, his heart would have stopped, if he had one, he thought wistfully.  Finally, he spoke up.

_"Don't worry, we can defeat this evil together."_

Yugi let a slight breath of relief escape his lips.  However, he was obviously still fearful.  Yami continued to reassure the young teenager.

_"As long as we stay connected, you and I can face anything."_

_"Maybe.__  But what if I…fail again?  How do I know that I won't lose you?"_

Yami smiled and looked down at Yugi.  Outside, Yami was calm, collected, and confident.  But on the inside, Yami's emotions were flying every which way from Yugi's last words.  [He cares deeply about me, but how far does it go?  Am I simply a protector and friend?  Or perhaps a brother?]  He couldn't bring himself to think that their relationship could go any farther than that – he didn't know if his soul could take the rejection of someone so deeply bonded with himself.  He wanted to reach out to the boy, hug him, kiss him, and tell him that he would never leave him, ever.  Instead, he simply took his ghostly hands and cupped them around Yugi's, holding the Millennium Puzzle.

_"I believe in you, Yugi."_

**************End Flashback****************

Yami sighed and leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, reflecting on the past.  Yes, for once he finally had a past to look back to – after that discussion Yugi and his friends participated in Kaiba's tournament, where after days of dueling and several near death experiences, they had finally retrieved the three God Cards.  And with them, he was transported back to his ancient past – as pharaoh.  That last little fact surprised him still.  [I was a mighty, all-powerful ruler, able to bend people to my will by fear of punishment or death – and yet Yugi can make me quake in submission just by looking at me with those eyes of his.... ]  Yami smirked, and looked up at the creamy-colored ceiling of the living room in Grandpa's game shop.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yami, Grandpa!  I'm home!"

Yami looked up from his reverie to see Yugi and Merodi walk through the door.  They had been at school for most of the day, but had decided to stop by the market and buy some things to restock the refrigerator with.  Yami got up and walked over to the kitchen, where the two high-schoolers had dropped off their bags and begun to put things away.  Seeing Yugi about to pick one particularly heavy bag off the floor, Yami quickly grabbed it and pulled it out of his reach, receiving one of Yugi's infamous pouts in return.  Yami chuckled, put the bag on the counter, and quickly proceeded to grab Yugi around the waist, picking him up and carrying him under one arm like a piece of luggage as he walked towards the living room.  Yugi laughed, sending happy chills down Yami's spine.

"Yami!  Let go!!  I can walk, I'm not paralyzed!!"

"Your point?"

"Yami!!!!  Merodi, stop that and get over here and help me!!"

Merodi was on the ground laughing – she had known Yugi and Yami for a while now, but she never ceased to be amazed at their antics.  She stopped long enough to breathe, shaking her head as she replied, "Uh-uh, Muoto, you're on your own!"  She burst out laughing again as Yugi glared at her.

"Oh, I get it now," he yelled, "let's all gang up on the short people, it's fun!  Thanks a lot!"  

"Hey, I'm short too!  And short people are awesome!"  Merodi replied.

"Then why don't you help me?"

"Hmmm.  Good question."

"MERODI!!  YAMI!!!"

The two chuckled.  Yami reached the sofa, grabbed Yugi and sat him down.  He then fell back to sit next to his aibou, sinking into the cushion as he put his arm around the boy in a comforting gesture. 

"Aww, poor Aibou."

"Shut up," Yugi said, still a little perturbed by the incident previous.  However, he really couldn't stay mad at the spirit – wait, not spirit, human.  After Yami had been taken to his ancient past and come back to present day, he had been reborn and gained a body of his own.  Not that Yugi was complaining.  His cheeks turned a slight pink when he realized that Yami had forgotten that his arm was still around Yugi's shoulders.  Yami noticed this, unfortunately for the shorter boy.

"Yugi?  Are you ok?  Your face seems a little red.  You're not sick again, are you?"

"Oh, no Yami," Yugi stated quickly, trying to mentally rid himself of the color in his face.  "It's just pretty cold outside, with the wind blowing every-which way."

Suddenly, to Yugi's rescue, Merodi stepped in with a dish of snacks.  She sat them on the table, and picked a cushioned chair across from the pair to sit in.  She was still chuckling from the previous incident.  "Are you sure that it's ok that I stay over here while school's out for the next week?  I really don't want to bother you at all."

Yugi raised a hand in reassurance.  "Please, don't worry about it.  We're more than glad to have you around – it'll be fun!  Besides, we wouldn't want you staying at home all by yourself during vacation, while your parents were out on that business trip."  He stopped talking for a little bit, his face looking thoughtful.  "Hey, speaking of, Yami, where's Grandpa?  I didn't see him when we walked in."

"Oh, right, I almost forgot," Yami said as he rose from his seat, removing his arm from Yugi's shoulder as he went into the kitchen again.  Merodi noticed her classmate looking forlorn in the absence of his guardian, his eyes following Yami's movements.  She chuckled a little more to herself.  Yugi turned around and gave her a quizzical look.

"Oh, it's nothing Yugi," she said, putting his curiosities at bay.  [Those two,] she thought, [If they could just 'fess up to each other, it would make everyone's lives so much easier.  But boys will be boys, I suppose.]  She looked up and saw Yami as he walked back into the room, a piece of paper in his hand.  He handed it to Yugi.

After a few minutes, Yugi stated, "So Grandpa is also going to be gone next week, at a Duel Monsters Convention?  Wonder why the late notice.  Oh well, I'm sure he'll call home when he gets there, just to make sure everything's alright."  He looked up, with a grin on his face.  "Guess that means the place is all to ourselves during vacation!"

"Awesome!  No parental supervision, just think of all the trouble we can get into in just one week!"  Merodi giggled.  A very malicious, evil-sounding giggle, but it was a giggle all the same.  "So what do we do today?"

"Beats me.  Anyone have any suggestions?"  Yugi asked.  "Maybe we could stay away from the arcade, just for today.  No offense to anyone, but my brain is fried and I really don't want to stare at a video screen for the next couple of hours.  What about you, Yami?"

Yami looked up and thought for a moment, before replying.  "Well, why don't we just go down to the pier for a while?  I know it doesn't sound like much, but if you're looking to relax, Hikari, it just might do the trick."

"Yeah, that sounds like fun!"  Merodi said, turning to Yugi.  "And after we watch the sunset go down, we can hang out and push Yami into the water!"  Yugi laughed, while Yami just attempted to stare her down, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh?  And you really think you're a match for me?"  His eyes widened as Merodi jumped up, and started to come towards him as if she was going to strike him where he stood.  Instead, she simply tried to stare him down for a little while, before poking him in the stomach and yelling, "YOU'RE IT!" as she started running from the house.  Taking the cue from his friend, Yugi swiftly left the couch and went running after her, as Yami stood there dazed for a second before he turned and began in hot pursuit of his two victims, pausing just a few seconds to lock the door behind him as they all raced towards downtown Domino.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"GET BACK HERE, YOU FOOLISH MORTALS!!!"

The local residents of Domino looked up as they saw three figures chasing each other through the crowds.  A boy and girl were running hand in hand, laughing their heads off, as a tall spiky-headed boy, who looked remarkably like one of the teens he was after, ran after them with a huge smirk across his face.  Suddenly, he stopped and let out a command in a booming, baritone voice.

"YUGI MOUTO, STOP RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"

The two chase-ees stopped dead in their tracks, turning around fearfully.  Yami stormed up to them, the humor gone from his face.  Yugi stared as his crush stopped in front of him.  His eyes gleamed, and suddenly he pushed between Yugi and Merodi, stating, "Foolish mortals.  Don't you know that, as Pharaoh, I always go before you?  You are not to go anywhere without MY permission, got that?  Now," he paused to brush something off his coat, "Follow me."

Yugi gaped as Yami strutted past them, grinning proudly from ear to ear, his head held up incredibly high, his nose in the air.  He let out a low growl.  Merodi, however, had another idea in mind.  She stood up straight, and yelled to the rest of the town, "That's right!  Back off, you worthless people!  Make way for his majesty, his royal highness, PHAROAH FERN HEAD!!"  This sent many people nearby into hysterics, while the former king of Egypt turned around, shock evident in his face as he stood, gaping at what he had just been called.  Taking advantage of Yami's temporary incapacity, Yugi ran straight for him, tackling him and pinning him to the ground.  As the two laughed their heads off, along with Merodi and many of the others watching this drama unfold, Yami opened his eyes to look at the smiling figure above him.  What he saw took his breath away.  [He's like an angel,] he thought.  [He's so…so….]

//Beautiful.//

Yugi turned to look down into Yami's shocked face.  /Yami?  I'm sorry, I was laughing so much I couldn't hear you.  What did you say? /  

//….//

/Yami?  Something wrong? /

//…huh?  Oh, Yugi, no, nothing's wrong.  Uh, you mind getting off me now? // [Not that I mind,] he said to himself.

Yugi looked down.  After tackling Yami, he was sitting on his stomach, his short legs straddling Yami's body.  Realizing the awkward position, he scrambled off the troubled teen, blushing furiously.

Suddenly, Merodi came running up to the two boys, rescuing them from any further embarrassment.  She was still laughing as she said, "Oh my God, you guys - that was so funny.  You've got the whole town up in hysterics!"

"Well, I'm sure it wouldn't have been nearly half as hilarious if it wasn't for that 'flattering' nick-name you gave me."  Yami shot back, grinning.

"Ah, well, I'll admit I can't really take credit for that stroke of genius – I heard it from Jou."

"Jounochi!  Oooh, he's a dead man now!"  Yugi said, smiling.  "Come on, you guys, let's head for the dock, we're almost there."

"Sure, you guys.  Actually, do you mind going on ahead?  I need to stop in the museum here and go to the bathroom, if you don't mind."

"Not at all.  Right, Aibou?"  Yami looked down at Yugi.  "Right.  Just make sure you get out here in time, the sun's starting to go down!  You don't want to miss the show, right?"

Merodi chuckled.  "Of course, Yugi.  I won't - don't worry!"  She smiled, and with that she started climbing the stairs that led to the Museum's entrance.

Yami turned back to Yugi after watching Merodi enter the building.  "Well, Hikari, come on.  Like you said, we don't want to miss this, do we?" He said as he put an arm around his aibou in a friendly gesture.  Yugi smiled back up at him.  "Lead the way, almighty Pharaoh."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami: Well, you like?  Please let me know, this is my first attempt at writing a Yu-Gi-Oh fic, let alone a Shonen ai one!  Obviously, the pairing is Y/Y, but there will also be an OC/OC straight pairing.  I know it sounds weird, just bear with me here!  Oh, and as for the Pharaoh Fern Head comment, I don't know whose idea it was originally, I just picked it up from one of the stories.  Whoever came up with it can let me know, and I'll credit it them for it.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! SEE THAT LITTLE BUTTON BELOW? THE ONE THAT SAYS "GO"? No, the one on your left…your OTHER left... -_-' *sigh* Yeah, that one...PRESS IT AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!! …No, about the story I just wrote…yeah…ok… *SIGH*


	2. Changing Tides

Merodi no Yami:  Hello again, everyone!!  Yay, I actually have a review for my story!! Thank you sooo much, violettegal345, for saying that you loved my story so far!!!  I'm so touched!

//???: In the head. //

Merodi no Yami:  *sigh*  I guess this is the time that I introduce my yami to you.  Meet Naito.  Say hello, Naito.

//Naito: ??? O_o  What do you think I am?  Some kind of brainless animal you can show off at your every command??//

Merodi no Yami:  Uh...….what happens if I say yes?

//Naito: I'll make you regret it, that's what! //

Merodi no Yami:  O.O  Oh, ok then.  Um, yeah, anyway, back to the story.  I know I just put the first chapter up today, but since it's 1am and I'm really not getting sleep at the moment, AND we get tomorrow off from classes, I figured why not put the next chapter up.  Be warned – I doubt this chapter is going to be as long as the first.  However, it will have some Y/Y fluff, and an actual cliffhanger!  

//Naito:  *sarcastic*  Ooh.  Wow.  I can't take the suspense.  Someone hold me back.  -_-'''//

Merodi no Yami: *Sigh*  Oh, and in case you guys were all wondering, there is no way I could ever do Yaoi or Lemons!   – Lime, you ask?  Maybe, but I highly doubt it.  For this story I'll probably be sticking to fluff only.  Yay, fluffy goodness!!!  ^_^

Disclaimer:  I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of its characters.  Ok?  Happy now?  However, I do own my very own Yugi plushie, which I made all by myself *beams proudly*, as well as this story and its other two characters – Merodi and Naito.  You no take without my permission!!  Grrr!!!  *grabs Naito in a death hold*

//Naito:  URK!!  Ack!!  Aibou, what are you doing?  And why am I in your story?  AND WHY CAN'T I BREATHE???//

Merodi no Yami:  Haha, you'll just have to wait and see!  ^_^ 

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

**Destinies of the Past – Chapter 2: Changing Tides**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yugi and Yami walked to the end of the dock, stopping at the railing to gaze at the sun setting in the west.  They had thought about turning back, to make sure Merodi would find them, but it was soon realized that she would probably have an easier time of finding them at the dock than in the crowds of Domino.  Yami leaned forward, draping his arms across the metal frame that separated them from the sparkling ocean.  As pharaoh, the only body of water he had ever seen was the Nile River.  However, it was nothing like what he saw before him.  The clean, clear waters seemed so pure; it was if no human hand had ever touched them.  [Just like Yugi.  Never before have I ever laid eyes on such a treasure, such a manifest of kindness and innocence.  Like the ocean, everything seems to fade in comparison to him.]  He looked down at his aibou, who was standing with the railing in front of him, grasping it lightly as he leaned forward with eyes closed, letting the gentle winds brush through his hair.

Not noticing Yami's gaze, Yugi opened his eyes to gaze upon the majestic sea.  Unlike Yami, Yugi had grown up with the ocean by his side.  He also was captivated by the shimmering waters as it reflected the many colors spread throughout the sky, but what he loved about it were the many mysteries hidden within its depths.  [Kinda like Yami, when I think about it,] he said to himself.  [He's so beautiful, yet so mysterious.  It's hard NOT to be drawn to him, to like him, to love him.  The ocean can be deadly, true, but it also holds a deep and wonderful power within it.]  He sighed; letting his mental barrier slip a bit as he was taken in by the wonderful presence of the sunset dancing on the water.  /Yami..../

//Yes?//

Shocked, Yugi looked up at the other teenager.  [Oh no, how much of that did he hear?  Oh great, now he's going to be freaked for sure; he won't want to talk to me at all, thinking I'm perverted or something....]  

/Oh, sorry, nothing.  I was just thinking. /

//About what? //

/...stuff..../

//What kind of stuff, Yugi? // Well, he was the King of Games – he wasn't going to be put off that easily.

/...The ocean's beautiful, isn't it? /

//...Yes.  I have never seen anything like it. //

/Really?  We need to get you out more. /  Yugi chuckled.

//Oh no, it's not that I haven't seen the ocean before, Aibou.  It's just that I've never been able to just stand here and admire it. //

/I see.  Well, we'll still have to get you down here more often to enjoy it. /

//...I'd really like that, Hikari.//

They stayed that way, standing next to each other, until the sky turned blood red, reminding Yugi of Yami's entrancing eyes.  He blushed a little at the thought – he always felt a little love-struck whenever he looked into those red-rose-colored orbs of his protector.  They were enchanting, to say the least.  As the dark blue and black hues of the night finally took over the sky, the two teenagers started to come to their senses.  Somehow Yugi had unconsciously gone into the grasp of Yami's strong arms, which were wrapped around him in a protective embrace.  Yugi gave a small sigh of satisfaction, hoping that Yami wouldn't notice their predicament.  The boy's eyelids began to droop; the combination of the warm embrace and his tired body caused him to let sleep begin to take over.

Suddenly, Yugi's eyes opened as he looked up into Yami's face.  His grip had tightened a bit, as if he had suddenly sensed an evil presence lurking nearby.  He looked back down at Yugi, concern etched on his handsome features.

"Aibou, I am sensing some sort of danger.  I cannot say what, but I can feel it."

Yugi mused over this for a little bit, when all of a sudden a thought hit him like a ton of bricks.

"Yami," he asked frantically, "where's Merodi?"

The pharaoh looked shocked – he had been so enamored by Yugi, he had completely forgotten about the girl.  It had been at least an hour since she they had seen her last – a trip to the bathroom couldn't possibly take THAT long.  Combining that realization with the ominous feeling he had gotten all of a sudden, Yami suddenly felt very concerned for their friend.  He let go of Yugi as he turned to him and said, "She should have been back by now.  We'd better go back to the museum and try and find her.  I fear this evil presence and her failure to show are somehow connected."

"Well, then, let's go!!"  Yugi exclaimed, as he started off for the Domino Museum.  Yami traveled close behind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi came out of the bathroom, all cleaned up.  But she really didn't have any intention of going to join the two boys, not just yet.  [They left without me only a few minutes ago.  That's not nearly enough time for them to get all romantic at the dock!]  She snickered, hoping her plan would go well.  It was obvious to her that those two needed each other – besides, they complimented each other perfectly, yami and hikari.  Deciding to hang around a little longer, she started wandering around the different exhibits in the museum, casting a lazy eye on some of the statues that graced the walls of the hallways.  However, she suddenly stopped as she came to another entrance way.  It wasn't that this one looked any different from the others, quite the contrary.  However, for some reason unknown to her, Merodi found herself strangely drawn to it.  She glanced at the sign overhead.

"Ancient Egypt exhibit," she read aloud.  "Hmm.  Sounds interesting.  Wonder what's in here."  With that, she stepped into the room and began walking down the hallway.

At first glance, the place really didn't seem out of the ordinary for a museum exhibit.  Yet, she soon found herself racing down the hall; a sense of urgency and foreboding playing in the back of her mind.  [What is goin' on here?]  She wondered, frantically.  Merodi finally came to a roped-off room, labeled 'NO ENTRANCE'.  She looked at it.  She certainly wasn't one for rule-breaking.

She ducked under the rope and continued searching.

[What is this?  What gives?  What the heck am I searching for, anyway?]  Questions shot through the girl's mind, but no answers came to quell them.  Suddenly, she reached the last room of the exhibition.  Fumbling for a light switch, she groped along the wall until she found it, flipping it on to see what had called her to the place.

She gasped.  On the far wall hung two ancient Egyptian tablets, both depicting an ancient game of Duel Monsters.  Past conversations flooded her mind as she remembered Yugi telling her about their adventures in Battle City, and Yami describing how he came to remember his past.  [These must be those tablets,] she wondered.  They were magnificent pieces of work, for sure...if only she could get a closer look at one of them….

She stared.  [Maybe I can.]  The tablet on the right side of the wall, depicting the epic battle between Yami and the High Priest, had been uncovered; the glass casing leaning against the wall caddy-corner to it.  She walked up to the ancient stone, letting her gaze wander across its many hieroglyphs.  She brought up a tentative hand to touch the artifact, when she suddenly felt a soft energy pulsating through it.  [What?  Whoa, what's going on?]  She drew her hand back in fear, only to have the feeling pass as quickly as it had come.  [Oh, get a grip, Merodi – it's not like this big hunk of rock is going to possess you or anything.]  She raised her hand up to touch the stone again; the same feeling of energy returning as well.  This time, however, she ignored it as she placed her fingertips upon the ancient carvings, tracing its intricate designs.

Suddenly, she was blinded by a flash of light as the entire stone lit up, glowing a crystal blue.  Merodi staggered back, when suddenly a loud noise filled the room, as if something were powering up.  Upon hearing the sound, it left as quickly as it had come; leaving Merodi to looking around to see what had caused such a disturbance.  The sight that met her eyes left her completely speechless.

Out of the stone, a figure began to emerge.  Like a ghost, its head and arms were the first to exit the artifact, followed by the rest of its body.  Once completely released from the tablet, the figure collapsed and fell to the floor; the blue glow around the room disappearing.  Soon, all that could be heard was breathing – the short, frantic gasps of Merodi, and the strong, steady breaths of the figure on the floor.

After what felt like a few minutes, Merodi finally recovered from her shock.  She stared at the young man, who seemed to be unconscious.  Yes, she could tell it was a he, now that the bright blue light had disappeared.  She treaded cautiously toward him, ready to run at the first sign of malicious intent.  Kneeling beside him, she gently turned the figure over, and stifled a gasp as she looked upon his face.

[Yami.  No, not the REAL Yami, but his resemblance to him is so uncanny….] Her eyes traced the familiar, yet puzzling, features of the young man.  His hair was a dark chocolate color, with bangs similar to those of Yami's.  However, instead of the red-and-black color combo that both Yugi and Yami sported, this one's hair was tipped with a deep cerulean color.  His outfit was near the same as well, though the figure's shirt was interwoven with sparkling silver threads.  He also wore a silver belt around his waist, and black leather pants and boots to match the Pharaoh's.  As Merodi continued to stare at this strange look-alike, she was unaware that the figure had already woken up.  She heard a slight cough, and suddenly looked up to find herself staring back into two blue orbs, like sapphires.  Suddenly, the figure grabbed Merodi violently by the shoulders, muttering some sort of strange spell in a forgotten language.  She was terrified, to say the least.  She could see the figure in her mind's eye, filtering through her memories as if he was looking for something.  Not being able to stop him, she gasped a question. 

"Who…..who are you??"

{{Who am I?  That is a good question.  For 5 long millennia I have been unable to answer that question.  I never had an identity – I was always lurking in the shadow of Darkness.  But, if you so insist on having something to call me by…...  Naito.  My name is Naito.  And yours?}}

"Merodi."

Silence followed.  Merodi could feel Naito searching for something within her mind, frantically.  [What could I possibly know that would be so important to him?]  she wondered.  Then she remembered how similar he was to Yami.  [Maybe he's another ancient Egyptian spirit, sealed away like Yami was?  But if that's so, why wasn't he put into a Millennium Item?]

Drawing up what courage she had, she asked the young man who had invaded her head, "Um, Naito, you don't happen to be related to anyone by the name of…Yami….would you?"  Upon uttering those last words, she regretted it when she saw Naito's face contort in fury upon the mention of that name.

{{You know him?}}  His grip on her shoulders became incredibly painful – Merodi began to worry that he was going to break them.

"H-h-hai!  He is a friend of mine….."

{{SILENCE!!  I thought that, by sealing myself here within the stone tablet, I would be able to free myself of that fool.  Obviously, I was wrong.}}  One of his hands moved to Merodi's head, grabbing a handful of hair before yanking her head to the ground.  Merodi was unconscious as soon as her head hit the marble tile floor.

{{Yami,}} he seethed, {{You may believe that you've left the past behind you.  But little did you expect the past to follow you to the present, ne?  It is time for my revenge…..}}  And with that, he began to disappear; a smirk playing on his lips as he fell from human vision.  {{I WILL have my revenge, Yami…..I WILL.}}  Suddenly, laughter echoed throughout the room as Merodi laid on the floor, unconscious; her head sitting in a small pool of her own blood.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami:  Dun dun DUN!  Haha, a cliffhanger!  Well what do you guys think?  This turned out being a little more serious – and a lot longer – than I expected.  I'll try to lighten it up a bit in the next chapter.

//Naito: Why am I so violent and abusive?//

Merodi no Yami: Because you've been trapped in a piece of rock for the past 5,000 years – I'd imagine it's just a little more uncomfortable than those Millennium Items.  That and, well, you're bent on revenge, obviously.  Why?  Haha, that's a major plot twist for the story, so there's no way I can tell you know.

//Naito:  True. //

Merodi no Yami:  Ok, all you lovely readers!  It's that time again!  (No, it's not Tool Time, that show's dead.)  You know what to do, don't you?  Oh.  You don't.  *Sigh*  O-K, click on the review button below and tell me what you think.  I will accept flames, but it doesn't mean I'll read them, sorry.  *smirk*  Hope you all enjoyed this, more coming soon hopefully!


	3. A Reunion

Merodi no Yami:  I'm back again!!  I bet you didn't see that coming, huh?  Haha!!!  Thank you to all these wonderful peoples:

violettegal345, Kyra Windwood, Chibi Chibichi, ObiWanGirl, uhduhi'mstupid(It'd true!), Wolfspeaker, and my friend Norm  ^_^

Thank you all for reviewing!!  And thanks to Kyra, Wolfspeaker, Chibi Chibichi (haha, I love saying that) and ObiWanGirl for putting me on their favorites list!!  *Goes starry eyed…again* I'm so happy!!  You people actually think my writing is worthwhile!!  *sobs*

{{Naito:  Yeah, hard to believe, isn't it?  I mean, it's _you_.}}

Merodi no Yami: How many times must I ask you to stop that?

{{Naito: Stop what?  You from making a fool of yourself?  Why should I?  It's highly entertaining.}}

Merodi no Yami:  *sigh*  Anyway, a note to Wolfspeaker: I'm glad you liked my review; you deserve it.  ^_-  Thanks for putting the next chapter of your story up!  As soon as I saw it I knew I had to get working this weekend on putting another chapter up for this story, too!  ^_^  Actually, I'm hoping that I can find a way to write a new chapter each weekend for all of you lovely peoples, but we'll have to see.  (Stupid college schedule…grr….)

{{Naito:  -_-''' }}

Merodi no Yami:  Well, I just have a few remarks to make before you guys go ahead and read the next chapter.  First of all, I want you all to know that I have never been able to write a story past the 2nd chapter, so this for me is a big feat in itself.  Reviews on this would be greatly appreciated, since for a while I was drawing a blank as to what to write next.  

Second, I know this story is labeled Humor/Romance, but as I've written past the first chapter I'm thinking that it's probably going to turn into Action Adventure/Romance.  Hope that's alright with everyone – I want to inject some humor into this, but Merodi is unconscious so she can't liven things up, Yugi and Yami are too caught up in each other, and Naito is too busy plotting revenge.  ^_^

Thirdly, what do people think about adding some Yugi angst?  I'm thinking in the form of torture…someone mentioned the idea in one of the reviews, and I can think of a place where it would work, but I would need to know before I write the next chapter.  What do you guys think?

And lastly, I like the whole idea of Yugi and Yami having past lives in Egypt, but the whole slave/pharaoh thing is becoming REALLY cliché.  Does anyone have any ideas as to how I could make this different?  I have one – count'm, ONE – idea that might work, but again, I really, REALLY want to hear what you guys have to say.  Suggestions, PLEASE!!  O.O

{{Naito: Yes, please.  If you continue letting her write like this, it's going to be a disaster.}}

Merodi no Yami:  Grrrr…  Just get in your place and get ready for the story, K?

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or its' characters.  I have a Yugi doll which I made myself to take to college, which I'm very proud of; two action figures, a shirt, and some duel monster cards – but that's IT.  This story belongs to ME, and me only, as do the two OC – Merodi (no, this is not me, nor is it Mary Sue) and Naito (my yami…MINE).  So no take-ee!  

{{Naito:  O.O}}

Merodi no Yami:  Haha!!  Ok, now let us continue on to more memories, more danger, and, most importantly, more Y/Y fluff!!  ^_^_^_^_^

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

{{blah blah blah}} – Naito talking/thinking/plotting revenge  {{HEY!}}  *snicker*

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Where we left off last time (because I can't remember… -_-''''):  

{{Yami,}} he seethed, {{You may believe that you've left the past behind you.  But little did you expect the past to follow you to the present, ne?  It is time for my revenge….}} And with that, he suddenly disappeared; a smirk playing on his lips as he fell from human vision.  {{I WILL have my revenge, Yami….I WILL.}}  Suddenly, laughter echoed throughout the room as Merodi laid on the floor, unconscious, her head sitting in a small pool of her own blood.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

**Destinies of the Past – Chapter 3: A ****Reunion******

Yugi ran down another hallway, searching frantically for his friend.  He and Yami had realized her disappearance while they waited at the dock only moments before; the two of them had raced back to the Museum, calling out for Merodi as they ran through the ever-busy streets of the city.  "Merodi!" Yugi called for the umpteenth time as he tried to find his friend in the large building.  [Merodi, where are you?  Please be alright....] He gave another look around, concern for his friend evident in his eyes as he found himself back in the atrium of the museum.

"Yugi!"  The teenager turned around to see Yami racing up to him from another hallway, stopping in front of him to catch his breath.  "Find anything?"

"No, not a single clue.  Yami, I'm starting to get worried.  What if she-" Yugi cut his statement short as he looked up at the former Pharaoh; a shocked expression cut clearly across his face.  "Yami?  What's wrong?"

"Yugi.  Do you remember that strange presence I sensed earlier?"

"Hai."

"It's back again.  And it's stronger this time."

Yugi's eyes widened slightly as he processed this new information.  After a brief pause, he asked, "Yami, can you possibly track where these energies are coming from?"

Yami looked stunned and slightly confused.  "Possibly.  Why?"

"Well, what if it's like you said?  That this mysterious presence and Merodi's disappearance are related?  Do you think we might be able to find Merodi if we follow the disturbance?"

Yami mentally kicked himself in the head.  Yes, that is exactly what they should have been doing all this time, instead of running around blindly.  He closed his eyes, brow furrowed as he stretched out his mind to find where the strange energy was coming from.

"Yami?"  His eyes snapped open.

"This way, follow me."  And with that, Yami grabbed Yugi's arm as they raced down another corridor.  

Soon, despite their situation, Yugi was beginning to wonder if Yami was just going to drag him around the entire museum in a mad dash, when his protector finally stopped.  Yugi nearly ran face-first into Yami's back as he quickly asked, "What, what's going on?  What's wrong Yami?"

The teenager simply continued to stare down the hallway; his facial expression had darkened slightly.  "The source of the disturbance is coming from down there," he said bluntly.  Suddenly, evil laughter began to resonate down the hallway, causing two pairs of eyes to widen in shock at the sound.

Without another thought, Yugi brushed past him, racing down the hallway, calling out for Merodi.  Letting out a worried sigh, Yami looked up once again at the sign above the entrance, labeled 'Ancient Egypt Exhibit', before running after his aibou.  [I've got a bad feeling about this….]

When Yami finally caught up, he found Yugi staring at a roped off area.  A sign was attached to the rope, clearly stating, 'NO ENTRANCE'.  "Where is the presence coming from now Yami, can you tell?" he heard the teen ask, slightly apprehensive.

When Yami gestured down the hall they were standing in front of, Yugi gave a slight sigh.  "I don't get this – Merodi wouldn't go into any kind of restricted area, it's not her style.  What would she be doing down there, anyway?"

Recognition dawned on Yami's face as he suddenly realized where that hallway would lead them.  Instead of answering, he passed under the rope without a second thought as he began running down the hall, hardly hearing his aibou's cry of surprise as Yugi ran to catch up with him.  [Merodi,] he thought worriedly, [Please be alright.  I don't want to think about what trouble those artifacts may have caused this time.]  He saw his destination, and picked up his speed as Yugi raced beside him.  However, both stopped dead in their tracks as they reached the final room; eyes wide in shock and horror at the sight in front of them.

In the far left-hand side of the room, in front of one of the Egyptian tablets, laid Merodi; her head soaking in a puddle of blood that had begun to form on the marble floor.  Yugi gave an anguished cry as he darted towards his fallen friend.  He checked for a pulse; there was still one there, luckily, but the boy could tell it was starting to weaken as blood continued to drip from a wound on the girl's head.  Yami walked over and knelt down beside Merodi's shoulders, visually inspecting her skull for injury.

"Give me your hand, Yugi."

Yugi looked up, still very shocked by what had happened to his friend.  If he wasn't so worried, he might have blushed at Yami's request.  Instead, he grasped it without question.

Yami then closed his eyes, letting his body relax as he held a hand over Merodi's injured head.  Suddenly, a bright light emanated from both Yugi and himself, quickly proceeding to spread over the still form.  Yugi's eyes gazed on in wonder as he saw the wound which had been dealt Merodi slowly but surely heal itself up, until suddenly the injury had completely disappeared, along with all the blood on the floor.  Subconsciously, Yugi began to feel tired, as if part of his life force were draining out of him.  He pushed those thoughts aside and continued to focus on the girl's healing injuries.

Once the wound had healed, Yami continued to hold his hand out over Merodi's head for a little while longer.  When satisfied, he dropped both his hand and Yugi's.  The light then faded into nothing, leaving an unconscious girl in their midst.  "She'll be alright now.  Her injury is healed, for the most part.  But it might take her a little while to recover."

Yugi looked up at Yami, relieved at the sudden turn of events.  However, he soon felt his curiosity take over as he asked, "Yami, what exactly happened just now?"

Yami sighed.  "Usually, my Shadow Powers can only be used to destroy.  However, if a person with these powers is somehow connected to another of pure heart, he can use the energy from that person to heal another."  He looked back at Yugi, sorrow evident in his crimson eyes.  "I had to take some of your life energy in order to save Merodi – I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way, especially seeing as how I did not tell you what I was going to do."

Suddenly, the Pharaoh found himself trapped in a fierce hug delivered by Yugi.  "You shouldn't worry about those kinds of things, Yami," he stated, "you saved Merodi's life!!  Why would I be upset with you for doing that?"  Yami couldn't find an answer, as he was too busy trying not to blush from the boy's swift actions.  Yugi pulled back from their embrace, however a little reluctantly.  "Thank you."

His face still a bit red, Yami simply nodded as he looked back to the form on the floor.  "We have to get her back home.  Yugi, can you go find a phone and call a taxi to come get us?  The sooner we get there, the better."  The boy simply nodded as he dashed down the hallway while Yami picked Merodi up gingerly in his arms, not wanting to disturb her or her injury, and began walking slowly down the hallway after his aibou.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Well, she's safe now."

"Hai.  Arigato, Yami."

A shrug.  "Ne, Yugi, she's my friend too, remember that!" he said with a grin.

As soon as Yami had reached the exit of the Museum, the taxi which Yugi had called up arrived to take them back to the game shop.  As soon as they arrived, Merodi was rushed upstairs and put on the bed in Grandpa's room.  She simply seemed to be sleeping at this point, and in no noticeable pain, so the two left her to some piece and quiet as they retreated down the stairs, flopping onto the couch in exhaustion.

"Do you think we should call her parents, to let them know what happened?"

Yugi shook his head.  "If she's as fine as you say she is, it wouldn't do to bother them.  They were already worried enough about just leaving her here – before they left, they made sure I had all medical information on Merodi, right down to the semi-annual booster shots."  He grinned.  "If we told them, we'd probably be dead – either by their hands, or by Grandpa's.  So, if she's ok…."  He trailed off, doubt beginning to surface on his face.

"Yami," he whispered, "I feel so bad about what happened – this is all my fault.  If we had just decided to stay home, or go the arcade, none of this would have happened."  Yami turned to look at him, worried by the tone and turn this conversation had taken.  After a moment's hesitation, he leaned over and gathered Yugi into a gentle hug, whispering into his ear.

"Shhh…Yugi, it's not your fault, and you know it.  If anyone's to blame, it should be me.  I was the one who suggested we go down to the dock, and I was the one who let Merodi go off on her own and failed to realize that she was missing.  In any case, I failed to protect your friend, which means I also failed to protect you.  I'm sorry."  Yugi looked up to see the Pharaoh's eyes shut; his face blatantly showing his shame for what he done.  Yugi gave a gentle smile, and nudged the slightly older teen.  

"No, it's not your fault either, Yami.  You're right – neither of us could have seen this coming.  Besides, you saved her!  How could that be considered failure?"  Dully realizing that it was probably totally out of bounds, he leaned into his guardian's embrace, nuzzling his face into Yami's chest.  Yugi smiled again as smelled the musky leather scent of Yami's shirt.  There were so many things he wanted to tell his protector, but for now this was more than enough for him.

Luckily for Yami, Yugi decided to close his eyes and just stay there for a moment, and therefore could not look up at him.  To say Yami was bad at concealing his emotions at that time would have been an understatement – his face matched the color of his eyes as soon as he realized what Yugi was doing.  Yet, he was enjoying every minute of it.  [He's probably tired and worn out,] he explained to himself reasonably, [it has nothing to do with you.  But, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy it, does it?]  He pulled Yugi closer to him, in both a protective and possessive manner.  [No matter what happens, you will always be mine to look out for, Yugi.]

By the stillness of the form in his arms, Yami realized that his charge had quietly fallen asleep in his embrace.  [Of course – I DID take some of his life energy away to heal Merodi; of course he's going to be tired.]  With that, he slowly got up off the couch and carried Yugi to bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**************Dream Sequence******************

Yugi stared at the images that were flashing before him, completely confused.

_"Wha, what's going on here?"_ he spoke aloud.  His voice barely carried on the blowing wind before disappearing into the night.  Darkness was everywhere, enveloping him in its embrace.  Somehow, Yugi was comforted by this, and simply waited to see what was about to happen next.

Suddenly, the entire scene changed.  The palace of the Pharaoh loomed above him as waves of heat crashed against the sand.  Suddenly, he saw two teenagers exit the building.  Yugi quickly recognized the taller one as his Yami.  [What did I just think?  Mine?] Yugi blushed furiously, but Pharaoh Yami seemed to make no notice of him.  [Of course, I'm in a dream, why would he know I was here?]  His mind was brought back to the scene in front of him as the two boys began talking.

_"What is troubling you, Naito?"_ Yami stated, as if he already knew the answer.

_"YOU!"_ the younger boy shouted.  Yugi finally noticed the other person there, called 'Naito'.  He was an inch or two shorter than Yami, but bore a striking similarity to the Egyptian king, save that the red eyes and hair that Yugi loved were replaced by blue.

_"Me?"_

_"Yes, YOU!__  What do you think you're doing, unraveling all the long years of tradition in our land!!?"_

_"Why follow something you don't believe in?"  _He bore his gaze directly into the other's._  "This isn't what you are upset about.  What is the REAL reason you refuse to leave me alone?"_

_"Fine.__  You want to jump to the point?  One word: YUGI."_

[Me?  What does all this have to do with me?  Ra, what are they even complaining about?]

The shorter teen continued.  _"That boy has been consuming your mind and controlling you ever since you found him by the __Nile__.  Curse you, Yami; you're so infatuated with him you've forgotten the needs of your own people!  That little worthless-"_

Yami suddenly grabbed Naito by the neck, growling fiercely.  _"Yugi is NOT worthless.  And he is not manipulating me.  He has opened my eyes to our sins against the Gods, and I will not have you saying otherwise."  _

Yugi couldn't help but blush at this comment.  [So, we knew each other in the past as well?  I wonder if I felt the same way about him then as I do now…?]

Yami paused, staring into the other's eyes; the shorter boy hardly flinched, but stared right back.

_"But no, this still isn't what you're all about, is it.  This is about your rule of __Lower Egypt__, correct?  Naito, I know I promised to hand over its rule to you, but now I have seen that you are not fit to lead our people into this coming age."_

Naito tore away from Yami's grip, growling fiercely at the comment – it had struck a nerve and his pride_.  "I swear, _Pharaoh_, you will see me again.  This conversation is finished, but sooner or later you will have to see reason…or else the consequences shall be dire.  Now, why don't you go find Yugi?  I'm sure that your little lover is anxiously waiting for you to decide the fate of our land, so he can discuss more important matters with you."  Naito said the last part with great distain, turning around and walking away from the Egyptian king without so much as a second glance.  _

[…Wha…what…did he…just...say…LOVER?  Me? His - oh Ra, now I KNOW this is a dream.]

Yami continued to stare at the figure walking away from him; his expression filled with sadness as he whispered to the air, _"Naito…Naito, what are you doing?"  The Pharaoh shook his head sadly, and turned back toward the palace as he and the world around him began to fade from Yugi's mind._

Yugi couldn't really seem to make heads or tails out of the situation he had just witnessed.  It had to be a memory from Yami's past, to be sure, but anything beyond that was a mystery to him.  And if it was a memory of Yami's, why was Yugi witnessing all of this?  Suddenly, he was pulled out of his mental questioning as he saw the living room appear in front of him, with a very tired Yami – our present-day Yami – sitting on the couch, looking at him curiously.

[I must still be dreaming, how else would I have gone from Egypt to the living room without feeling myself wake up?  Oh well, might as well have some fun then.]  He smiled, and walked over to Yami while the other boy simply watched him move across the room.  Suddenly, Yugi turned and sat in Yami's lap, his body perpendicular to his guardian as Yugi laid his head on the other's shoulder.  He wrapped his arms around his crush and closed his eyes.  He sighed happily and snuggled against Yami before drifting off into a dreamless state.  [What a nice dream….]

*******************End dream sequence*****************

Yami sat on the couch, thinking.  It was midnight now, and he knew he should be resting, but the strange events of the day continued to replay in his mind.  It was the strange, magical energy that piqued his interest the most.  It felt…familiar, in a way.  He couldn't seem to place who or what it had come from, but he knew he must have encountered it at some point.  Maybe in the past?  True, he had already traveled back to Ancient Egypt to regain his memories, but they had been mostly those that led up to his sealing of the puzzle – he knew nothing of his childhood, and he had noticed some odd, blank spots in the more recent events of that time, like someone had purposely removed certain people or events from his mind.  However, he could feel little details about his past beginning to trickle into his mind every day, like sand from a sieve.  He gave a small, exasperated sigh.

Suddenly, he heard movement coming from the hallway.  Turning to look, he saw Yugi, standing there with a thoughtful look on his face.  His eyes were glazed over, as if in a trance.  [Hmm.  Seems as though Yugi's been sleepwalking again.]  He remembered the first time he had seen Yugi wandering through the house like this; he had nearly given the shorter boy a heart attack as he had frantically ran over to his charge, yelling and shaking him madly, not understanding what was going on as Yugi mumbled random words with that same glazed look.  Of course, after his Grandpa explaining what exactly 'sleepwalking' was, and assuring him that Yugi never came by any harm from it, Yami stopped trying to wake the young boy and simply kept a protective eye over the boy whenever he went on his late night wanderings.  Suddenly, he noticed Yugi's face break out into a wide grin as his aibou started to walk across the room.  [What is he up to now, I wonder?]

Yami sat there in shock as Yugi came over to him and promptly placed himself in Yami's lap.  He got even more nervous when Yugi suddenly embraced the old Pharaoh, sighing contently to himself as he rested his head on his shoulder.  Yami looked down at the now sleeping figure, incredibly surprised at this new turn of events.  [I wonder what he's dreaming about,] he thought, but did not try to find out.  He wouldn't tread on his aibou's privacy by prying into his mind, and he had no desire to wake him up to ask – he was enjoying the condition the two boys were in.  Immensely.  Yami sighed again, wrapping his arms around his charge, kissing his head as he nuzzled the boy's soft hair.  [The past doesn't matter.  I have everything I could ever want here in the present…I have you, Yugi.  I just wish this was real.]  Of course, it was, but Yami knew Yugi would never act this way when he was awake; to Yami, it was a wonderful waking dream.  Smiling, he basked in Yugi's warmth and innocence as he finally let his concerns float away as he drifted off to sleep.

Unbeknownst to the two sleeping figures, a shadow shifted in the hallway, watching the naïve couple on the couch with sapphire eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

{{Yami.  You unsuspecting fool.  Enjoy your love and happiness while you still can.  For I promise, I shall attack you where it hurts, right in your very heart.}}  An evil grin added itself to the darkness.  {{Before this is over, I SWEAR you will BEG before me for mercy.  And if you'll remember, I ALWAYS keep my promises….}}

The Night laughed at the Darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami: Ok!!!  That's it for this chapter!  (Tried another cliffie – it works…sort of…*sigh* I'm no good at those….)  Remember, all you people, to let me know the following:

1.) Was the chapter ok?

2.) Should there be any Yugi angst?

3.) Can we think of anything besides Slave/Pharaoh relationship for Y/Y?

4.) Do you guys want to see the rest of the YGO gang in this story, or should it be exclusively the four that are already in this?  (I know I didn't ask this before; it just occurred to me now.)

Hope you enjoyed this!  (Wolfspeaker, your turn now!  ^_-)

{{Naito: I didn't.  You're always making me out to be cruel.}}

Merodi no Yami:  Well, that's because you are…for a while at least.  But don't worry *wink*, you'll warm up soon, I promise Naito-chan!  ^_-

{{Naito:  O_O_O_O_O_O  HELP!!!!}}

OK, now for the fun part…*sigh*…your task, if you wish to accept it, is to review this story.  If you don't wish to accept it, I shall set my yami on you to send you to the shadow realm, and I won't write anymore, so there – NYAH!!  Now, go find the little button on your screen that says "Go" and click on it, and start typing!  ^_^  Flames are welcome, but will most likely be grabbed first by my yami to meet his pyrotechnic desires.  O.o  Thanks!


	4. Recovery and Reminiscing

Merodi no Yami:  Ok!  Finally, I got another chapter up for all you peoples!  I don't know why, but I can't seem to write anything good unless it's midnight or later.  *sigh*  So much for getting a good night's rest – I still need to go do laundry after this.  *SOB*

{{Naito:  I'll go do it, aibou.}}

Merodi no Yami:  ???  O_o  What?  What do you want now, why are you being nice?

{{Naito:  *shrug*  I don't have a part in this chapter, so instead of watching you write yet another pathetic chapter of this story, I might as well go do something constructive.}}

Merodi no Yami:  ..........................................nice to know I have your support.  -_-'''

{{Naito: Anytime!  *smirk*}}

Merodi no Yami:  Anyway...I'd like to extend thanks again to the following people:

Wolfspeaker, 

I luv Yugi and Kurt so :p, 

Kyra Windwood, 

boo

and a really big thanks ("THANKS!") to Keisha, who was so awesome in helping me establish an actual plot for this by giving me suggestions for Yugi and Yami's past.  Now, I can actually see where I'm going with this story, and may even be able to write a prequel to it when I'm done, if anyone wants me to!!  Yay!  ^_^

I also got a lot of responses from you people, asking for Yugi angst.  OK!  *salutes*  I shall try to do my best!  There won't be any in this chapter, however, and there probably won't be any showing up for at least another chapter, but I will put it in!  Naito's got to get his revenge somehow!  I just hope I don't wimp out halfway through – I mean, who really wants to hurt Yugi?  He's so KAWAII!!!  ^_^

{{Naito: *sulks*}}

Merodi no Yami:  Awwww, you're cute too, Naito.  

{{Naito:  ^_^}}

Merodi no Yami: *sigh*  Well, now I suppose you'll be wanting to read this, so I'll just dish out the disclaimer and let you at it!  Enjoy!

Disclaimer: 

------------------------------------------------

To: Kazuki Takahashi

Cc: 4Kids Entertainment

Re: Ownership of Yu-Gi-Oh

Mr. Takahashi,

HAND IT OVER, BEFORE I SICK ALL MY KILLER KURIBOHS ON YOU!!!  YU-GI-OH SHALL BE MINE, OR ELSE I'LL HAVE MY PETS NIBBLE AND GUM YOU TO DEATH!!  MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! O.O

--- Merodi no Yami

--------------------------------------------------------------

{{Naito:  -_-  Merodi no Yami does not own Yu-gi-oh.  Don't let her trick you into thinking otherwise.  This story contains shounien-aii, with Yami/Yugi pairing and an OC/OC straight pairing...if you've been reading along, you can probably guess what this one's going to be, iie?  Anyway, unfortunately for me Merodi no Yami does own this story, and Merodi, and myself.  If you steal us without permission or recognition, she will come after you with her great big frying pan of death.  o_o  Believe me, it hurts. }}

Merodi no Yami:  *holds up sign*  'Proud supporter of Yami/Yugi fluff!'  ^_^

NOW, on with the show!!  ^_^_^_^

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

**Destinies of the Past – Chapter 4: Recovery and Reminiscing**

Light poured through the windows the next morning, promising what would hopefully be a wonderful, sunny day.  As the light gently caressed the face of the young boy in bed, he stirred, followed by a yawn and a stretch as two amethyst eyes opened to meet the world once again.  Yugi sat up in bed, staring at his surroundings as thoughts about last night lazily ran through his head.  He vaguely remembered Yami picking him up and taking him to bed the night before – to which he had no objection, to be sure – and then to have that strange dream about Ancient Egypt.  Whether it was a memory, a vision, or simply pure fantasy, Yugi still couldn't figure it out as the dream began to fade from his memory.  He shook his head, trying to wake up; sleep still had a hold on him, even as he proceeded to get cleaned up and head down to breakfast.  He pulled a few random pieces of clothing from his closet, then splashed his face with some cold water before going downstairs.  

Upon reaching the kitchen, Yugi looked bleary-eyed at the scene in front of him with apprehension.  The first thing his mind wondered was why Grandpa hadn't made breakfast yet.  Remembering the note from yesterday, Yugi then proceeded to question what was going on in the kitchen.  Yami was already up, and had started playing with the various appliances that surrounded the room.  Grandpa was usually always home, and an early riser at that, so he always fixed breakfast for the two boys.  But with him gone, Yami had been the first one to wake up, and figured he might as well try his hand at breakfast – not realizing the complexity of such a task.  Yugi sweatdropped – Yami had practically emptied the entire fridge, obviously looking for something to make.  He finally found it time to make his presence known when he saw Yami move his hand to try and conquer the awesome powers of the stove.

"Good morning, Yami!" Yugi spoke, a little hurriedly.  Yami whirled around – he had been so bent on his task of making breakfast that he hadn't noticed his aibou sneak up behind him.  

"Good morning, Yugi.  Sleep well?"  Yami blushed a little upon asking this – when he had woken up this morning, Yugi was still sleeping in his arms.  Figuring it best if Yugi didn't know about his sleepwalking incident last night, Yami had taken him back upstairs and re-tucked him into bed.  Though, after that, he kinda wished that Yugi would sleepwalk more often....

"Actually, Yami, I'll admit I had a very strange dream last night…..."

"Oh?"  Yami replied, trying not to sound nervous.  [Great, what if he-]

"Yeah, something that had to do with Ancient Egypt."

"Really?"  Yami was both relieved and intrigued at this statement from his hikari.  "Care to tell me about it?"

"Um, sure Yami...on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You step away from the stove and out of the kitchen while I make breakfast.  I'm sorry Yami, but as much as I'm sure some people would find it highly entertaining – namely, Bakura, Malik, and Seto – I really don't feel in the mood of watching the game shop burn down this morning," Yugi said tiredly.  

The ancient Pharaoh sighed.  He was honestly hoping to have a chance to try his hand in the kitchen – he had been in this time for a while now, but there were still many everyday things Yugi took for granted that Yami couldn't help but find fascinating.  The TV happened to be one of these things – though Yugi had tried explaining to him how a television works numerous times, Yami still stood by his belief that it was a viewing portal that allowed you to visit other worlds and dimensions, no matter how...strange they might be.

Seeing this semi-helpless, defeated look on his guardian's face, Yugi's decision wavered.

"That is, of course, unless you'd like me to teach you how to use all these things," he added to his previous statement.  He was still a bit worried about Yami being in the kitchen, but upon seeing his guardian's expression light up at the compromise, he figured it was worth it.

"I'd love it if you would, Aibou."

"Sure, not a problem."  Yugi rubbed a hand over his eyes, still adjusting to being awake.  He then started scratching the back of his head, wondering where to start.

[Well, we can start by putting everything Yami has out back in the refrigerator...broccoli is nice, but that's not exactly the best choice for breakfast.]  As he started putting most of the food away, he proceeded to tell Yami about which foods were usually eaten in the morning.  Once this was explained, he moved onto appliances; Yugi spent a full hour making sure that Yami was informed on the PROPER use of the microwave, toaster, and ESPECIALLY the stove/oven.  Yami felt a little insulted that Yugi found it necessary to outline everything in such detail, but upon reflection, he couldn't really blame him.  The last time a yami had been involved with the activities of the kitchen, Bakura had stuck a can of soup in Yugi's microwave and turned the setting to full power.  Of course, a minute later Ryou and Yugi had come racing downstairs in a panic to see the results of the explosion, as Yami was trying to help Bakura remove the shrapnel that had become embedded in his body and the rest of the house.

Finally, Yugi stopped and turned to Yami, asking, "Ok, now - think you're ready to learn how to make breakfast?"

"Certainly, Aibou," Yami stated, "I believe I understand.  Now, what are you going to make?"

"Hmm.  How do pancakes sound?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi woke up with a groan; she had sat up quickly and suddenly wished she hadn't.  Her head was pounding, and her quick start made her a little dizzy.  [Great, just great, now my head's going to explode, I'm such a lucky person.]  Abruptly, realization dawned on the girl as she looked around.  She was disoriented – the last thing she remembered was having her head smashed to the ground, and then nothing.  She looked over at the nightstand, where a small framed picture of Yami, Yugi, and Mr. Muoto sat.  [Yami and Yugi must have found me, then, and brought me back to the game shop.  But, what about Naito?  Was he still there when they found me?  Who is he, and what happened?]  Before confusion could take her further, Merodi stepped out of bed and retrieved a set of clothes from her large duffel bag, which Yugi had been kind enough to bring upstairs for her.  Once changed, and still slightly dazed, she decided to go downstairs to see what the two boys were up to.  [And after that, maybe Yami can answer some of my questions.]

As she reached the final stair and turned the corner, Merodi stopped to stare at the sight before her; a grin spreading across her face, causing her to forget her previous worries as she watched the two figures in the kitchen.  Yugi was teaching Yami how to make pancakes; upon seeing Yami's difficulty with flipping them, however, Yugi quickly went over and grabbed his hand, guiding the guardian's motions in doing so.  It was a cute sight, but what made it even more so was how both of the boys' faces had turned red – Merodi had the feeling the change in color wasn't from the heat of the stove, though.  [Those two...] she thought, not for the first time.  She couldn't help but let a little chuckle escape her lips.

Yugi turned around upon hearing the small laugh.  Upon seeing Merodi up and about, he quickly helped Yami finish the pancakes before flying across the room to grab his friend in a hug.  "Merodi, you're up!  How do you feel?"

"Mmmph...well, I'll be able to breathe once you let go of me, Yugi."

"Oops, sorry.  So how's the head?"  He let go, blushing a little at his over-enthusiasm.  Yami stared at the two, just the tiniest bit jealous that Merodi had gotten a hug from his light.  Merodi noticed this and gave him a wink, happily noting the surprise and confusion on Yami's face before answering Yugi's question.

"I've got a headache the size of China, but other than that I'm ok.  Though, I was a little dizzy getting up this morning...but I'm fine now, don't worry!"  She added the last part of that sentence in a hurry, as she saw her friend's eyes widen with concern.  "So, is there anything I can do to help with breakfast?"

Yugi said nothing.  Instead, he simply lead her over to the kitchen table and made her sit down before replying, "Don't worry, Yami and I have it covered; right, Yami?"

As if to prove his point, Yami came over to the table carrying three plates and a large stack of pancakes.  Setting them down on the table, he looked at Merodi with one of those stares that said, "You try to get up and help, you die."  Merodi gulped, then Yami's expression softened.  "Is there anything else you would like for breakfast, Merodi?"

"Nope!  This is fine, thank you!"

"Aibou?"

"I'm fine too, Yami.  Let's sit down and eat, shall we?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After breakfast had been finished and the table cleared, the three decided to go to the living room to discuss what had happened yesterday and hopefully turn up some answers to the questions buzzing around in everyone's heads.  It was a nice day out, albeit a bit cool, so Yami went to open the windows to let some fresh air in as Yugi fixed some warm drinks for everyone.  Merodi would have helped, but as soon as breakfast had ended Yami had caught her holding a hand to her head, and quickly shooed her upstairs to get some medicine, reasoning with a grin, "Wouldn't want you passing out on the floor – you might break something in the house as you fell."  Merodi simply stuck her tongue out at the 5000-year-old pharaoh before making her way back to her room.

Yami, after having a tug-of-war with the windows (they hadn't been opened in the past 5 months, and were a little stiff at the joints), finally sat down on the couch as Merodi came down the stairs, seating herself across from him.  They small talked about the weather a bit, before Yugi came in with a tray of drinks.  Setting it down on the table in front of him, Yugi jumped on the couch to sit next to his yami.  Merodi smiled again, but this time was able to stifle her giggles as Yami reached for the mug of coffee Yugi had made him.

"So," he asked, "where do we start?"

"Good question.  Who should tell their side of the story first, us or you?"  Yugi asked, directing his inquiry at Merodi.

"Mmm.  If you don't mind, this aspirin is taking a little while to kick in – would you start?"

Yugi quickly explained how he and Yami managed to find her, and how Yami healed her injuries before they brought her back to the game shop.  Merodi simply nodded in understanding as the pain in her head began to recede.  Once he had finished, Yugi looked at her expectantly.  She stared back at him, then sighed.  [This story is going to be a doozy, for sure...they'll probably think it's the head injury talking, but oh well.]

"Well, after I had finished in the bathroom, I decided you two wouldn't mind if I wandered around for a little bit before going to meet you."

"And you found the Ancient Egypt exhibit?" Yami asked.

"Yeah...it was strange...for some reason, I felt some sort of pull, like I needed to go find something.  I kept searching until I got to the end of the hall, where the stone tablets were."

"And?"  Yami pressed.

"And...well, you guys aren't going to believe this...."  Merodi shot a glance at Yugi, who gave her a look of confidence before she continued, "...but I went to go touch one of them since the glass had been taken down, when suddenly...the stone started GLOWING...blue," she added, as she looked at the boys' surprised looks.  

"But wait," she said wryly, "it gets better.  Once that started, something started emerging from the tablet itself.  A person."  At this point, she looked straight at Yami, who looked quite surprised.  [Why is this starting to sound familiar?] he wondered.

Merodi continued, "When I went over to help him, he suddenly got up and began to chant some sort of spell, and started probing my mind for some reason.  I thought maybe someone had trapped him in the tablet like you had been put in the Millennium Puzzle, Yami, so I asked him if he knew you."

"And?"

"Uh...that's when he grabbed my head and slammed me into the floor.  I don't remember much else after that, I'm afraid."

Yami frowned and stared into his coffee, as if trying to remember something important.  After a pause, Yami looked up, asking, "Merodi, what did this person look like?"

She had wondered when he was going to ask that.  "He looked exactly like you...well, except that his eyes and hair were blue, not red."  Merodi was hoping that Yami would suddenly jump up and explain who this person was after her mentioning his appearance, but the ex-pharaoh only seemed more confused by this.  To her surprise, however, Yugi suddenly sat up straight, as he looked at her with wide eyes.

"Let me guess," he started, "he was a couple inches shorter than Yami, right?  And he had dark brown hair instead of black?"  Merodi blinked, then nodded.  Yami turned to Yugi, a little shocked.  "Aibou, do you know this person?"

Yugi shook his head.  "Last night I had a dream about Ancient Egypt.  You were there, Yami, and you were talking with this person that Merodi's just described as her attacker."

"What were Yami and this guy talking about, Yugi?"

Yugi blushed a bit.  For the most part, they had been discussing HIM, but he wasn't about to let them think he was in any danger, and he certainly wasn't going to tell Yami that this stranger had labeled him as Yami's 'lover'.  "Well, I remember Yami asking him what was wrong – he looked upset.  Then, the guy started talking about breaking tradition and being upset over something Yami had done.  Then Yami mentioned something about not giving him rule over Lower Egypt.  After that, the guy just stormed off."  Yugi sighed, now wishing he had been able to remember more about the dream.

"Yugi, did this guy happen to have a name?

Yugi looked up at Merodi as he tried to recall what Yami had called him in the dream.

"Uh...maybe...Naito?  I think?"  He asked, unsure of himself.  Suddenly, Merodi let out a gasp as she finally recalled what her attacker had introduced himself to her as.  "That's it!" she exclaimed, "That's what he told me his name was!  Naito!  And...Yami," she said, turning to him, "he said something about sealing himself in the tablet, to be rid of you, or something...Yami?  Yami, what's wrong?"

Concerned, Yugi turned to look at his guardian.  Yami stared at the table, half in shock, almost ready to drop his mug where he sat.  Yugi grabbed it from him before he did, setting it down on the table as he asked, /Yami?  Yami, are you ok?  What's wrong?/

//Yugi....//

/What is it?  Do you know who this person is that Merodi and I have seen?/

//I-I think so, Aibou....  For most of this time, I've been trying to call up any memories of this person you've been talking about....//

/Well?  Who is it?/  Yugi felt a little fearful as Yami's eyes widened slightly, as if daring not to believe it himself.  Merodi simply watched this mental conversation, not wanting to interrupt, suspecting that whatever they were talking about was very important.

//Someone who caused great pain and suffering, while I was still Pharaoh.  He was responsible for countless deaths and widespread destruction.  I tried to reason with him, but he wouldn't listen....If he's loose now...Merodi's very lucky that she got away with the injuries that she did, Aibou...but what is he doing here, in this time?//

Yugi grabbed Yami's hand in reassurance, feeling the shock Yami was in pouring over through the link they shared.  Yami noticed this, blushing ever so slightly.  Yet, he did manage to calm down before continuing.

//Naito...he's my brother, Yugi....//

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami:  Dun dun DUN!  Haha, were you surprised?  Probably not....  -_-''''  Most times, you can see those 'plot twists' of mine coming from miles away.  Oh well, I tried.  But what happens next?  What will Yami do?  Will Yami and Yugi ever 'fess up?  What part does Merodi have to play in all of this?  Where is Naito, and what is he planning?

{{Naito: I'm right here.  What are you talking about?  Besides, you're the authoress; shouldn't YOU know what's going to happen?}}

Merodi no Yami:  -_-;  Anyway, please review!  Seeing your wonderful messages pop on my computer makes my day so much brighter, and I won't write unless you do!!  Buahaha!  Thankees!  ^_^

P.S.:  By the way, if you're looking for some out-of-the-ordinary comedy, go check out my other YGO fic, "Myth of Kingship: The Vengeance of Yami".  It's based off an actual Egyptian myth that is, I think, downright hilarious, so I decided to put the YGO crew in there.  I think it turned out pretty well – has some Kaiba-bashing, even though I think he's an ok character, and a little bit of Anzu/Tea-bashing will turn up in the chapter following it.  It is rated PG-15, for now – will get worse, because the myth gets worse.  O_O  Also has Y/Y fluff that appeared out of nowhere – has nothing to do with the myth, it just APPEARED...wow, you know your obsessed when, huh?  Oh well.  Please read, enjoy, and tell me what you think!  ^_^

P.P.S. – Also BTW, this fic may not be updated next week – I really want to get another chapter going on my original fiction piece, "The Power of A Melody"...this fic has sorta overrun that one, which is the one I had originally gotten on FF.net to share, so that gets top priority now.  Sorry, you guys may be waiting a while for the next one!  I'll try to keep up though!  (As I suffer from midnight insomnia....  -_- )


	5. Disturbances

Merodi no Yami:  *running away*  I'm sorry, Naito!!  I had no idea, honest!!

{{Naito: *chases her, crazed look in his eyes*  Well, OBVIOUSLY you had no idea!!  How could you get my name wrong, Aibou???}}

Merodi no Yami:  *sniff*  I'm sorry!!  I didn't mean it!!  It was on this fan website, and I just assumed it was right, since I couldn't find any other place that offered those kinds of translations!  How was I to know 'Naito' meant 'Knight' and not 'Night'??

{{Naito: *is miffed, walks off*}}

Merodi no Yami:  *Sigh*  Well, yes, obviously the authoress has made a bit of mistake here – thanks to Ko-chan for pointing it out to me.  Um, however, at this point I really don't want to change Naito's name, so is it alright if we all just pretend that his name really means Night?  I'd appreciate it....

Speaking of thanking, it's that time again!

Wolfspeaker, 

I luv Yugi and Kurt so :p, 

sm(),

Chibi Chibichi, 

--- Thank you all so much for reviewing!  And a big, huge, special thanks goes out this time to Ko-chan and her yami, Ya-chan, for all their wonderful reviews!  I still can't believe it – we never expected you to actually review each and every chappie!

{{Naito:  Sugoi….}}

Merodi no Yami: Yes, and to show our appreciation for all your reviews, and for adding us to your favorites list, and for dedicating a chapter of 'Strip Tease' to us *blushes*, I'm sending Naito over to help write another chapter of your latest project....

{{Naito: Hey, I never agreed to this....}}

Merodi no Yami: *ignores Naito*  You can only have him for the day, but I'll make sure I send him over in proper attire...a.k.a. tight, black leather pants, and no shirt.  *wink*  But I want him back, you hear??

{{Naito:  NANI!!!!!!!  O_O_O_O_O  AIBOU!!!!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  Heheheh.  Ok, now onto the disclaimers, before Naito comes and thoroughly mauls me for that statement....

Disclaimer: Merodi no Yami does not own Yu-Gi-Oh.  If she did, they would have had a special Valentine's Day episode, where Yami confessed his love to his aibou, and it would be filled with lots of pointless YY/Y fluff!!  However, I DO own this story and it's two OCs – Merodi (not me, I just couldn't think of a better name at the time) and Naito.  *Grabs Naito*  MINE.  You here me?  MINE!  You can't have him.  MY bishie.  Borrow?  Maybe.  But MINE.

{{Naito: *struggling to get free of death grip* O_O_O_O_O }}

[[Merodi: *sniff*  No one loves me....]]

Merodi no Yami:  Aww, don't worry Merodi.  Why don't you go play with Yugi?

[[Merodi: *sniff*  'K....]]

Warning:  This story in general is Action/Adventure/Romance, with lots of yummy Y/Y fluff!  ^________^  This specific chapter in general has bumped the rating up to PG-13, due to a little swearing, violent death, and indirect mention of rape.  Don't worry, no one actually dies in this chapter, but I decided to put some Yami and Yugi angst in here, since the actual Yugi angst won't show up for another 2 chapters – this story keeps getting longer and longer, I can't help it!  Oh, and also, you guys might find Yami acting a little OOC, but it's only because I got a little tired of reading Yugi as the helpless, defenseless uke of the relationship.  I mean, he's an uke, but he's not weak – give him some credit!  

Now, enjoy...or else!!!  *holds frying pan up menacingly*

{{Naito:  -_-''''''''}}

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

{{blah blah blah}} – Naito talking/thinking

****

****

****

**Destinies of the Past – Chapter 5: Disturbances**

Yugi sat at the kitchen table, his face and papers illuminated by the light fixture hanging above him.  Ever the diligent student, Yugi had decided to get his homework started that day so that he wouldn't have to throw it all together over the weekend in a last-ditch effort, like a certain tall blond was known to do from time to time.  However, every time the young Mutou member moved to attempt to decipher what his Calculus teacher had assigned, he found his thoughts returning to Yami.  He had gone to bed before his aibou, concerned and apprehensive – a rare and unusual event that worried Yugi.  Of course, the realization that one's brother is alive after 5,000 years and could go on a violent public rampage at any time is enough to make anyone worry.  But Yugi could tell something else weighed heavily on the former Pharaoh's mind.  

Suddenly Yugi's head jerked up as he heard a cry of fear and pain.  Turning around to look at the couch, he could see Merodi sitting there; her eyes closed as she listened to some music through her headphones.  She noticed Yugi's swift movement, and gave him a quizzical look.  Obviously, she hadn't heard anything.  Yugi sighed and shook his head.  [Must be my imagination,] he thought.  Just then, he heard the same, painful sound.  Only this time, he realized with a shock who had created it.

/Yami!  Yami, are you ok? / Yugi asked worriedly through their mind link.  What was wrong with him?  Yami never acted this way....

//...iie...stop...don't do this...//

/Yami! /

//........I.....no....................YUGI!!!!!!!!!!!!!//

Wide-eyed and panicky, Yugi bolted out of his chair and raced upstairs.  Finding Yami's room, he opened the door quickly to see the shaking form of the Pharaoh, curled up on top of his bed as if in pain.  Yugi rushed over to Yami's side.  

************Dream Sequence*************

_"Good evening, Yami."_

Yami spun around in the darkness to face the cold voice that greeted him.  His crimson eyes narrowed in anger and suspicion as Naito stepped from the shadows and into the dim light.

_"Brother.  What are you doing here?"_ he asked sternly, _"What do you want; why have you come back from the past?"_  Naito simply ignored his questioning as he retreated back into the darkness, as if retrieving something.

Yami's eyes widened in pain and horror as Naito came forth, dragging the small, lithe form of Yugi Mutou from the shadows.  The boy's figure had been cruelly beaten and bloodied; several ribs poked out from his chest, and his left arm hung at an unnatural angle.  Naito brutally shoved the figure forward as Yami rushed towards him, just catching him before he hit the ground.  

_"Yugi...."_ he whispered, sinking to his knees, hardly daring to believe what had happened to his aibou.

_"Y-Y-Yami...."_ Yugi stuttered weakly as he looked up at his soul mate.  Yami gasped; Yugi's eyes were filled with sparkling tears of anguish, spilling down his cheeks before he fainted from exhaustion in Yami's arms – his spirit had been broken.  The guardian's eyes scanned the thin form, his anger bubbling and eyes widening even more as he took in Yugi's injuries.  He had been starved and whipped – blood could be seen flowing freely from several large lashes across his back, marring his perfect skin.  As if this wasn't enough, Yami finally snapped when he spotted blood also flowing from between the teen's legs – not only had his poor Hikari's soul been broken, but his innocence had been stolen from him too.  Yami's eyes were filled with rage and hatred – how DARE Naito do this to Yugi, his beautiful, innocent angel!  Yami looked up into the smirking face of his brother.

_"You will pay for this, you monster!"_ he yelled as he cradled Yugi's broken form against his body.  The tears flowed freely now – how could he have let his hikari endure such pain?  Where was he when Yugi was being beaten, when he was broken?  Shouldn't he have been there to save him – wasn't he his protector?  And yet, he had failed to save the only one he loved from his own brother.

Naito merely smiled as he addressed his older sibling in a patronizing tone.  _"Now now, Yami – what language.  Looks like I'm going to have to teach you a lesson."_

_"Like HELL you will!"_ Yami screamed, placing Yugi's broken form down before he got up in a burning rage as he rushed forward to attack Naito.  The latter simply chuckled and muttered a spell, stopping Yami in his tracks.  A few more words escaped his lips, and Yami found himself shackled to the stone tablet Naito had escaped from; his arms and legs held in place by great golden restraints, marked with the sennen eye that graced all the millennium items.  Try as he might, Yami could not break free.  He stood there, shooting looks of pure hatred at his brother.  

That look of utter hate turned to one of horror and helplessness as Naito stepped forward towards Yugi's body, drawing a gleaming knife from his belt.  He roughly grabbed the boy, lifting him up and poising the weapon above his pure heart.

_"...iie...stop...don't do this..."_ Yami whispered, not believing what he was seeing.  _"Please, don't – take me instead!  Don't hurt Yugi anymore, he hasn't done anything!"_

Naito let out a cruel laugh, sending a cold shiver down Yami's back.  _"But Yami, you don't understand – the one I want revenge on is YOU...what better way to do that than to kill the one you love in front of your very eyes?"_

For the first time in his life, Yami felt fear.  

_"I...no........"_

Naito simply smiled as he let the silver blade sink to touch the teen's chest.  Suddenly, Yugi awoke with a shock as the blade pierced his skin; his amethyst eyes flashing with sudden pain and horror.  Yami's felt his heart rip from his chest as he heard the bloodcurdling screams come from his aibou, while Naito slowly pressed the knife into his chest, into his heart.  Yami thrashed violently, trying to get to his love as Yugi screamed in agony, their volume increasing as Naito put more pressure on the hilt of the weapon, digging it further into his young, broken body.  Yami continued to fight against his restraints, his own blood dripping from where the clamps dug into his skin, when suddenly he looked up.

Yugi had stopped screaming.

He simply laid there, the knife half-buried into his body; blood overflowed from the wound as Naito cruelly shoved the limp, cold body to lie at Yami's feet.  Dull, lifeless eyes gazed up at Yami; never again would those amethyst pools shine with the light of life and happiness.  Yami was near hysterics at the sight.

[No...no...oh gods, no...NO...it can't...you can't be...no, you can't...be....]

{{Dead.}}

Yami lost it.  He screamed wildly, _"...no...NO...YUGI!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

***********End Dream Sequence*************

Yami's eyes opened suddenly.  In a panic, he looked around wildly before finally focusing on his hikari, sitting on the edge of his bed with a look of worry and concern written in his features.  Yami let out a thankful sigh.  [It was only a dream....  Thank Ra, it was only a dream....]  Still, Yami could not help but worry.  What if it was a vision of what was to come?  The thought of that caused Yami to suffer anew, as the horrible images of Yugi's cold, bloody, and lifeless body flashed before his eyes.  He shut them tight, hoping to dispel the visions from his head, when suddenly he felt gentle hands envelop him in a warm embrace.  Shocked, Yami's eyes flew open to reveal Yugi, who had now moved onto the bed to cradle Yami's head in his arms.  The former pharaoh turned his head upwards to look at his blessed hikari, as he stroked Yami's hair in a comforting gesture.  "Yugi?"

"Yes Yami?"  he whispered.

Yami could only stare at the teen above him; he could feel himself melting in Yugi's embrace, and did not dare trust himself to speak.

Yugi, sensing Yami's confusion and upset through their link, whispered back reassurance to his guardian.  /Yami, shh.  It's ok, everything's fine now.  You were having a nightmare. /

//Yugi, I-// Yami started, unsure.  Not that he minded being in Yugi's embrace, but wasn't he the one who should be comforting him, not the other way around?  

/Yami, / Yugi interrupted, noticing Yami's internal protest, /Please, just relax, let me help.  Are you ok? /

//...Hai.//

/Well, then...what happened? /

//....//

/Yami, I heard you calling my name - fact, you practically yelled it.  You're not going to tell me nothing happened in that dream of yours. /

Yami took a deep breath as the memory of the nightmare came back to him.  It had seemed so real....  //You died.  You died, and I couldn't...protect you....//

Yugi looked down at the former pharaoh.  His eyes were shut tightly once again in anguish as a sad, solitary tear traced its way down Yami's face.  Yugi felt his heart break at the sight.  He never wanted to see his protector in such pain on his account, even if it was just a dream.  Kissing his yami on the head, Yugi whispered, "Ne, do I look dead to you?  Shh, Yami.  It was just a dream.  And before you say anything about not wanting any attention over this, just because you were Pharaoh doesn't mean that you don't have fears – we all do.  There's nothing wrong with accepting help from others when you need it – you showed me that, Yami.  Just let me return the favor, 'k?"

Sensing Yami's mental nod, Yugi let slip a small, happy sigh before resuming his previous task of brushing Yami's hair with his hands in a comforting manner.  He leaned back and let Yami's head rest on his chest.  He could sense Yami beginning to calm down, though still coming to the realization that none of what he saw in his sleep had been real.  Yugi looked up to the ceiling before closing his eyes, a smile of true happiness gracing his youthful face.

As Yugi drifted off into peaceful sleep, Yami was still seeing the nightmare play over again in his mind.  He adjusted the position of his head to gaze at Yugi's gentle form.  He watched as he felt Yugi's chest rise and fall with soft breaths, listening to the rhythm of his other's heartbeat.  For the first time that night, Yami found himself smiling as Yugi was.  [It was a dream – it hasn't happened, yet.  And I promise I'll make sure that it stays that way.  I don't know what I'd do without you, Yugi...you're my light, my life...my love.  I wish I could tell you these words...but your rejection would be worse than being trapped inside the puzzle for another five millennia.  

[It was horrible in there, aibou...it was so painful; all the negative emotions imaginable concentrated in one place...the most painful of them all...loneliness...I was all alone, no one to share my pain or give me a glimmer of hope....  But then you came into my life, Aibou.  You may not realize it, but you became my savior that day you solved the puzzle.]

Yami smiled again as Yugi shifted slightly, still holding his guardian's head in a protective embrace.  Yami sighed, drowning in happiness at the position the two of them were in.  Usually it was he who comforted Yugi whenever he awoke from a particularly horrific dream.  But Yami couldn't help but enjoy being held in this way by his aibou; the darkness being enveloped in light, Yami basking in Yugi's pure, shining innocence and affection.  

[This is what heaven must feel like.]  With that final thought, Yami felt himself once again slipping into the realm of dreams; hopefully to be much more pleasant this time around.  Yami unconsciously snuggled into Yugi chest before he let sleep claim him for the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi, finally deciding to go to bed a while after Yugi had raced up the stairs – she hasn't been paying attention, but assumed he had forgotten to do something important...probably another school project.  She put her headphones and CD player on the table and quietly left the couch.  After checking to make sure both the shop and the house were locked up, and any other safety hazards checked, she turned the lights out as she retreated upstairs.  

She had planned on going to the bathroom, getting changed, and then staying up a little bit to read before going to bed; however, upon reaching the top of the stairs she suddenly found herself very dizzy and tired.  Surmising that it was probably still from the head injury she had received the night before, she decided it might be best if she just went to bed straightaway.  Walking into her room, Merodi failed to notice the shimmer of blue light behind her.

Merodi quickly fished through her duffel bag and pulled out a pair of blue silk pajama pants and a gray cotton tank top.  Changing quickly, she set her alarm clock so she wouldn't sleep in too late the next morning.   She went to the dresser and took her hair out of the ponytail it was usually in during the day, letting the auburn strands cascade past her shoulders.  She took one last look around the room, then crawled under the covers of the bed.  She fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Unbeknownst to her, a figure emerged from the shadows; his sapphire eyes gleaming in the moonlight as it filtered through the window, illuminating the form in bed.  He brushed a golden bang away from his face as he smiled maliciously.  He continued to grin with some evil purpose as he walked to stand in front of Merodi; she was snoozing lightly, and never noticed his approach.

Naito's grin became wider.  {{Hmm.  Time to have a little fun....}}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami: Ok, ok, so it's not as much of a cliffie as the others, but still an evil ending, in my opinion.  The next chapter will have a lot more involving Naito and Merodi, just so you know.

{{Naito:  O_O}}

Merodi no Yami: Eh heh....  I think my yami is still a little shocked at how violent I made him...Ra knows he can be abusive sometimes, but he's not THIS bad....

In the meantime, I have a question for you all – DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET ITALICS TO SHOW UP ON FF.NET?  I put all the dream dialogue in italics, and it's driving me nuts that it doesn't show up that way on the website.  *SIGH*  Oh well, can't have everything in life, ne?

Well, please review and let me know how I did, please?  I've never written Yugi or Yami angst before...fact, I don't remember if I've EVER written angst before, period...tell me if it was ok, and what I could improve on – maybe descriptions or something?  I dunno.  Just please tell me what you think!!  Your reviews make me very happy and take me away from the normal, mundane life I live.  ^____^  
  


{{Naito:  *pfft*  THAT'S an understatement, hikari.}}

Merodi no Yami:  *glares*  Are you saying I'm pathetic?

{{Naito:  No...that would be giving you too much credit....}}

Merodi no Yami:  RARRGGGHH!!!  DIE, DIE, DIE!!!!  *starts swinging frying pan at Naito*

{{Naito:  EEP!! Uh, please review soon!  *runs off, MnY in hot pursuit*}}


	6. Yami

************************************************************************

WARNING:  VERY LONG AUTHOR'S NOTE AHEAD.  You may skip this portion if you like, but if you like Yami/Yugi fluff, I suggest you read!!

************************************************************************

Merodi no Yami:  Sugoi....  O_O  32 reviews!!  Haha, I'm loved!!  *does happy dance*

{{Naito:  Pfft.  Lucky for you – who'd've thought?}}

Merodi no Yami:  Oh, be quiet, you.  Or I'll send you back over to Ko-chan's.

{{Naito: O_O}}

Merodi no Yami:  Yes, thank you again, Ko-chan and co., for returning my yami!!  I had writer's block the whole time he was gone....  But that's ok, you've done wonders!!  Now whenever I need him to be good, I can threaten him easily!!  ^_^  Poor Naito...must be hard to be a bishie....

{{Naito: *growls*}}

Merodi no Yami:  *smiles*  THAT's better!  Anyway, it's that time again!  Thank you to the following people:

Wolfspeaker

Kyra Windwood

Nanashi

Yami-no-Yugi

Boo

Ko-chan

Karadaki

...for reviewing the last chapter!!  O_O  Sugoi – everybody's been yelling at me for 'killing' Yugi.  Uh...I don't know – is that a complement or are you guys truly mad at me?  ^_^''''  I mean, it was a DREAM; he didn't REALLY get hurt!! We're saving that for later – yeah, the Yugi angst is going to be much worse...in the way of length, anyways....  But don't worry!  That won't be showing up for at least ...uh... which chapter are we on again?

{{Naito:  -_-;  Jeez Louise…..}}

*Beaver Warrior pops up*  Huh?  Wha?  What's going on, whadIdonow?

{{Naito:  *sweatdrops*  o_o??  Oh, Ra....}}

*Ra the Sun God appears in a blinding flash*  ...*looks at Naito expectantly*

{{Naito:  O_O  …  -_-'''''  *frustrated*  OH, FOR THE LOVE OF OSIRIS!!}}

*Dragon Osiris appears, nuzzles Naito*

{{Naito:  O_o???}}

Merodi no Yami:  ..........HEY!!  GREAT IDEA!  *clears throat*  OH, FOR THE LOVE OF YAMI AND YUGI!

*Yami and Yugi appeared, enveloped in a passionate embrace as Yugi nuzzled the soft crook of Yami's neck.  He let a few soft moans escape his lips, tickling Yami's skin as the pharaoh began placing gentle kisses along his aibou's collarbone, tracing a trail up the younger's neck.  Yami stopped only long enough for Yugi to shift his position, so that he was facing his guardian, before Yami let his head dip to claim Yugi's soft, sweet lips in a fiery kiss.  

{{Naito:  O_O  uh....}}

The taste of vanilla and the scent of roses excited Yami's senses, enrapturing and amazing him to no end as he groaned with pleasure.  He began to drown in the light and happiness that seemed to radiate from Yugi; he could taste the sweet purity of soul of his Hikari, could feel it as he stroked the teen, tracing intricate patterns all along his pale, soft skin.  [_Mine_,] he thought possessively as he continued to deepen their kiss.  [All mine....]

{{Naito:  O_O  ...aibou...? }}

Yugi, on the other hand, felt the pull of the darkness and welcomed it, its mysterious power enveloping them as they kissed. Dark chocolate, devil's food – they were nothing compared to the sinful taste of Yami's lips.  The smell of fire and spice acted like a narcotic to Yugi; an addiction he never wanted to break.  To him, Yami was becoming increasingly dark and sexy with each passing moment, and it only made Yugi want him more as he quickly took his hands and started moving them through Yami's hair, sending small, nerve-racking chills up the pharaoh's spine.  

{{Naito:  O_O!!!!!!!!!!}}

Yugi pulled the past-pharaoh towards his slightly smaller body as he felt himself being pushed back gently to lie on the floor, closing the gap between them.  Yami lay on top of him, growling happily and clutching him like a well-sought-after treasure as he continued kissing his counterpart.  Passionate moans could be heard from both boys as they laid there, kissing each other over and over again, making up for the long months of repressed feelings for the other. Y-*

{{Naito:  *whacks MnY with large metal staff*  HENTAI!!!  STOP IT!!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  *blinks out of daze; fluff, kissing, Yami, and Yugi all disappear*  Huh?  Wha?  *eyes water*  NOOO!!! YOU RUINED MY ULTRA-AWESOME SCENE!!!  IIIIiiiEEE!!

{{Naito: -_-  Yes, I'll admit it wasn't that bad, but I was worried you might go a little lemony all of a sudden.}}

Merodi no Yami:  O_O  ME???  LEMON???  HELL NO!!  I couldn't even THINK about doing that!!  Nope, fluff's the way to be!  ^_^  Heck, I could never write a scene explaining how they...had...uh, yeah....

{{Naito: Sex?}}

Merodi no Yami:  *blushes, looks around*  Hey, lookit that, a squirrel....

{{Naito:  HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!  *rolls around on the floor laughing*}}

Merodi no Yami:  *glares*

{{Naito:  Hahahahaa, oh dear Ra, that's hilarious.  *wipes tear from his eye*  You mean to tell me you can't say "sex" without being uncomfortable??  YOU'RE A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE, for Ra's sake!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  *scowls*  Yeah?  So?  Just because I'm in college doesn't mean I partake in those little "activities"...I prefer my mind clean, thank you.

{{Naito:  Here.  *takes out book, reads title*  "Sex Education 101".  *Opens book*  "Chapter 5 – Yaoi, male/male intimate relationships..."}}

Merodi no Yami:  NO!  We just want the fluffiness, the kissing, the hugging, warm embraces!!  No "extras" in this story, please – I can't do it!!

{{Naito:  *shrug*  No matter, I'll just read it to you when you fall asleep, and let your unconscious take it from there.}}

Merodi no Yami:  O_O  

(By the way, that romance scene above is dedicated to Wolfspeaker.  Hope you liked it!  ^_^  ...of course, now I have no new descriptive words for the ACTUAL scene at the end of the story...back to the drawing board....)

Annnnd we're skipping the Disclaimer and Warnings and Key for right now, 'cause I'm lazy and tired...hope you weren't dying to read it or anything....Yeah, need sleep now.  

{{Naito:  Speaking of sleep...*smirks*  Oh, aibou...someone was mentioning that we should be a couple.... *wink wink*}}

Merodi no Yami:  Yeah, well I- *realizes what he's implying* O_O  IIiiEE!!!  HENTAI!!!!  *knocks Naito out*

{{Naito:  X_X}}

Merodi no Yami:  There.  Much better.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Where we left off last time, because the authoress forgot YET AGAIN:

...

Unbeknownst to her, a figure emerged from the shadows; his sapphire eyes gleaming in the moonlight as it filtered through the window, illuminating the form in bed.  He brushed a golden bang away from his face as he smiled maliciously.  He continued to grin with some evil purpose as he walked to stand in front of Merodi; she was snoozing lightly, and never noticed his approach.

Naito's grin became wider.  {{Hmm.  Time to have a little fun....}}

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

**Destinies of the Past – Chapter 6: Yami**

Yugi let out a small sigh as the sunlight came streaming through the window, draping itself over the teen's closed eyelids, begging him to wake and greet the new day.  Slowly the eyes opened, greeting the sun with sparkling amethyst as Yugi turned his head to look at the clock.  [9 am?  Hmm.  Oh well, might as well not waste the day away...] he thought.  As soon as he tried to get up, however, he found himself tightly pinned to his bed by his sheets.  [Must have gotten myself tangled up in them while I was sleeping, I guess.]

[Oh well, sleeping in a little longer couldn't hurt, could it?  Besides, it's way too comfortable here for me to even attempt getting out of bed...I'll just let Yami come and wake me up.]  A small smile spread across Yugi's face as he reached for the covers circling his waist.  Half-fantasizing about his dark, mysterious, and handsome protector, it was a few minutes before Yugi realized that his sheets weren't moving, despite his tugs.  [What....]  Yugi looked down to see what the problem was.

Eyes widened at what he saw.  He blinked, rubbed his eyes a bit, then stared again, disbelieving.  The reason he wasn't able to get up that morning wasn't because the sheets had pinned him down – it was YAMI.  At some point during the night, Yami had wrapped his strong arms around his aibou as he slumbered, clutching Yugi to him like a prized stuffed animal.

[Well, at least that explains why I was so comfortable this morning – heck, I wish I could wake up like this EVERY morning....] he thought as he remembered the reason Yami was there with him in the first place – that nightmare.

"Yami?" he whispered, afraid of breaking the moment.  The pharaoh simply laid there, still in slumber.  "Yami," Yugi tried again, this time speaking a bit louder.  Instead of waking up, Yami let a small sound escape his lips before hugging Yugi tighter, trying to burrow his face into his now-blushing hikari.

[Oh, RA, why are you putting me through this torture?] he pleaded silently, looking up at the ceiling with a hopeless look.  [Oh well – how does that saying go?  Live for the moment?]  Yugi sighed, glancing down at the peaceful sight of his guardian.  He laid back down, closing his eyes to fall asleep for the second attempt, when they shot open with sudden realization.

He had to go to the bathroom.  And Yami HAD to move, or else.

Carefully, so as not to wake Yami, Yugi backed up as far as he could, until he reached the headboard of the bed, slowly slipping out of Yami's grasp.  Somehow the sleeping form knew this, for right before Yugi was about to make his escape, Yami let out a low growl as he grabbed his hikari's legs, refusing to let go.  Sighing yet again out of frustration, Yugi sat there for a minute, contemplating what to do next, while looking down again at Yami.  He couldn't help but smile at the sleeping figure.  

[Oh Yami....] he thought wistfully as he leaned over to stroke the other one's hair, brushing a few unruly bangs away from his handsome face.  The darker half's mouth turned up in a slight smile at the touch, loosening his grip on his hikari.  Yugi quickly took the opportunity to get out of Yami's grasp, scrambling away before he could be captured yet again...only to fall face-first on the floor.  [Ok, so maybe I got up a little TOO quickly....  Now, why did I need to get up again?  Oh yeah, bathroom.]  With that, he quietly ran into the adjacent room.  Exiting a few moments later, he reached into his closet to pull out a violet-colored turtleneck and a pair of pants.  After he finished changing, Yugi gave another wistful look at Yami, lying on the bed still in a deep slumber.  He pulled a few covers over him, and dared to give him a small kiss on the head before retreating to the kitchen.

Soon missing the source of heat he had been holding onto, Yami woke up shortly after Yugi left.  Not aware that he had been hugging his aibou through most of the night, he wondered why he had woken up so abruptly.  He quickly shrugged it off as he could smell something delicious cooking downstairs, making his stomach uncharacteristically grumble.  Yawning, the past-pharaoh got up, changing into a comfortable pair of blue jeans and a short-sleeved, black silk dress shirt before exiting the room, deciding to wake up Merodi before heading down for breakfast.

**************************Dream Sequence***********************

_"Ugh...man, what time is it?"_ Merodi murmured sleepily as she sat up on her bed.  Through her haze she looked around the room, trying to spy just where she had left the alarm clock last.  However, sleep was a much powerful force than her curiosity at the moment.  Not seeing the object anywhere in the general area, Merodi easily gave up and decided to get some more rest – her head was still pounding.  [Yugi and Yami will wake me up if I sleep in too late,] she reasoned.  Sighing, she let her head drop down to rest on the soft, fluffy pillow as she tugged on the sheets; her eyelids began to droop as she felt sleep about to reclaim her.  

[Hey, smart girl,] came the nagging voice in the back of her head, [since when have your bed sheets been blue?  They were white when you went to sleep!]

[What?] She asked herself sleepily.  She raised her head to turn and look at what the annoying little voice had been talking about.  It was true; the sheets were different.  And now that she thought about it, the pillow was slightly different too....

Merodi bolted up, now wide awake upon the realization that she was no longer in the room she had gone to sleep in.  She looked about frantically, quickly taking in her new surroundings.  

While staying at the Mutou's, Yugi and Yami had decided to let her use "Grandpa's" room, since they had recently found out that he wouldn't be around for the week.  However, this was nothing like the shop owner's bedroom.  The first striking thing she noticed happened to be the bed she was sitting on.  She had been sleeping on a plain, twin-sized bed before; now, Merodi found herself somewhat blocked in by the light blue drapes that fell from the top of the four-post canopy above her.  It was simple but elegant – dark, mahogany wood was used to make its frame, as golden designs traced intricate patterns up and down the surface of the posts and sides.  She tried to see what was beyond the small sanctuary through the shrouds, but could only make out the outlines of certain objects.  [Bookcase, table, dresser,] she thought as she looked around, absent-mindedly checking off all the things she could make out to calm her nerves.

Suddenly, she heard a door open to her right.  Gazing fearfully through the drapes, she could just make out the outline of a spiky-headed figure as it began to approach her bed.  Sighing with relief, she called out.  _"Yami?__  What's going on, where am I?"_

Merodi let out a small gasp as the figure who had been approaching made no reply, but instead violently ripped the light material away that separated her from everything else.  She quickly looked up, and spied a pair of sapphire eyes.

[Oh great.]

_"Naito...."_ she breathed, as she stared at the spirit standing over her.

{{So, you remember me?  I'm touched,}} he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  

_"Wh-what am I doing here?"_ she asked, her voice becoming louder as she gathered up what courage she had.  _"What do you want from me?  Wh-"_

Merodi's questions were cut short as Naito raised a hand, glowing blue and surging with some sort of magical power.  Suddenly, he released the energy, channeling it straight at Merodi.  She let out a scream of pain as the cold, cobalt energy enveloped her, piercing her very heart, before it suddenly disappeared.  She gasped; wincing in pain from both the hit and her previous injury, she turned to see Naito smirking at her, obviously happy to see her in her misery.  He grabbed her by the shoulder roughly as he began to power up for another attack, well-aware of the injury he was putting her through.  Merodi swayed as she tried to look up at her tormentor, her vision splitting.  She wanted to fight back, but the pain she was in forcefully took precedence, and the energy he had used on her left her a little paralyzed.

_"W-why?  What did I do..."_ she began.  Just as soon as she spoke up, however, Naito let loose another ball of fiery energy, causing her insides to burn in pain.

[God, why is he doing this?  Why?  Why won't he leave me alone?  What have I done to him that he feels the need to kill me?] she thought through her pain-induced haze.

{{Why?  Simple.  You deserve it.}}

Silver eyes widened as they turned to meet sapphire.  _"Wha...?"_  she mumbled.  She hadn't said that out loud – how did he know-?

{{You're a friend of the Pharaoh – him and his little toy.  And THAT, baka, is unacceptable.}}

Merodi's eyes got wider as she continued to stare at the figure above here, oblivious to the new onslaught he was preparing.

{{What, you don't get it?}} he asked mockingly.  {{Don't tell me you don't recognize your own soul room.}}

Merodi's heart stopped upon hearing that last statement.  She looked at him, shock and apprehension apparent as she realized the meaning behind those words.

_"You don't mean...no, you can't be...th-that's impossible!"_

{{Why Merodi,}} he smirked, {{is that any way to treat your yami?}}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami:  Ok, ok, so this wasn't nearly as long as any of the other chapters, nor was it any good.  But, things really start to take off from here, and this was the only cliffhanger I could leave you with – unless I wanted to write about 5 more pages of the story – which, at this point, minna-san, I DON'T, simply because it is 5:30am and I haven't gone to bed yet.  *Sigh*

{{Naito:  Baka.}}

Merodi no Yami:  I'll agree with you there....  I really DON'T like my writing in this chapter, but hey, what are ya gonna do, huh?

{{Naito:  Burn it.  Here, let me, aibou....}}

Merodi no Yami:  *grrr*  I meant this one chapter...that doesn't mean – NAITO!!! 

{{Naito: *looks up innocently*  Whaaaat?}}

Merodi no Yami:  O_O  What do you mean, WHAT?  YOU JUST TORCHED MY DESK!!!

{{Naito: *shrug*}}

Merodi no Yami:  Fine.  *pulls out skillet*  PREPARE TO DIE.

{{Naito:  Oh pulleeese.  You say that at the end of EVERY chapter.  Besides, what gives with the skillet?  Shouldn't it be a frying pan?}}

Merodi no Yami:  ........uh........ "Variety is the Spice of Life"?

{{Naito:  -_-; Baka.}}

Merodi no Yami:  *narrows eyes*  Oh look, I think I can see Dai coming....

{{Naito:  RA NO!!!  *runs, cowers in a corner*}}

Merodi no Yami:  Like I said before - much better.  

Please review, everyone!!!  Let me know how bad I did this time!!!  


	7. Heartfelt Confrontations

Merodi no Yami:  *sits up, groggily*  *o_ *  Uhh…wha?  O_O  *stares*

*reviewers have flooded the room, running around like maniacs*  Wha…?

{{Naito: AIBOOOOU!!!!  HEEELLLLP!!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  What- oh dear Ra.

*Naito is tied to a chair, as various reviewers have finished torturing him.*

*walks over to Naito, plays with hair*  Hmm…pigtails…that's a new look for you, Naito.  And the cheese doodles are a nice...er...garnishing feature.  ^_^  *snicker*

{{Naito: YAKAMASHI!!!!  Aibou, just help me out of here!!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  What's in it for me?

{{Naito: Uh…I won't hit you when you do?}}

Merodi no Yami:  Fine, you can stay that way.  *walks away*

{{Naito: AIBOU!!!!  YOU BAKAYARO, GET BACK HERE!!!  Grr….  *a fox walks up to Naito*  Huh?  What do you want, you little furball.}}

Faux: *looks up*  BAD MOUTHING!!!  *hits him over the head, continues walking*

{{Naito: ?????  O_o?  Itai….}}

Merodi no Yami: *sits down, watching reviewers and their yamis/muses prance around*  Prance prance prance….  *fox walks up to MnY*  Huh?  What're you?

Faux:  *sits down, looks at her*  I like pie.

Merodi no Yami: …. *stares*  o_o…^_^  I like pie too!!!  *nods head*

Faux/MnY: We like pie.

{{Naito:  *hops through, still tied to chair*  HELPP!!!!  *is chased by crazed reviewer with a knife*  IIIIiiiEEE!!!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  Uh…yeah.  Anyway, I bet you all are wondering why I haven't been updating lately…

Reviewers:  STORY TIME!!! YAY!!!  *sit in front, waiting expectantly*

Merodi no Yami:  -_-;  Uh, ok.  Yeah, well, last week I was on a band tour with our Wind Symphony, so I obviously couldn't get to the computer then (though I did finish writing the following chapter… ^_^)…and the week before that was spent taking all my final exams for this past quarter…the weeks before that being spent STUDYING for these exams…ick.

            Reviewers: Oh.  Ok.  *all leave*

Merodi no Yami:  *blinks*  Well, that was easy enough.  Wait…what's that noise?

*Naito walks in, hanging with Aete*  O_o?  *Naito waves drunkenly, holding a bottle*  Why don't I like this….

{{Naito: Heeeeeyyyy, Aibu!  'Ete here got me in out of that chair thingy, and gave me summa this funny-tasting dwink.  Wh-want some?}}

Merodi no Yami:  *glares at Aete*  No, that's ok, Naito.  Uh, maybe you should go lie down?

{{Naito:  PANTS!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  o_o???

{{Naito:  Sing the praises of pants!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  *looks around*  Hey, has anyone seen the emergency exit?

{{Naito:  *whines*  AIBOOOU!!  Dolphins!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  ….

{{Naito:  One of the smartest mammals on earth!!  Do they wear pants??}}

Merodi no Yami:  …uh, no…. _

{{Naito:  NO!  But they WISH they did!!  That's how smart they are!!!  SEE???  *rips pants off, revealing navy blue boxers*  ^_^_^_^_^  *runs off*}}

Merodi no Yami:  *smacks forehead*  No.  Nononononononono!  Kuso, first Dai, now Aete.  *sighs*  This can't possibly get any worse.

{{Naito:  *from other room*  YAY!!  NAKED JOCK STRAP WRESTLING!!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  O_O  … _  I did NOT just hear that….*grabs Aete, eyes narrowed*  You.  Never. Get. Him. Drunk. Again.  Got it?

Aete:  *shakes head up and down furiously*

Merodi no Yami:  Good.  *sigh*  Here's the disclaimer, everyone, while I go get Naito.

Disclaimer:  Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!, don't own Slayers (ideas for battle scene taken from here).  I can not be held responsible for any damage caused by the reading of this story – this is Yaoi, Yami/Yugi all the way.  I also ask that no one kill me after reading this chapter – I put a bad fluffy cliffhanger right in the middle, and an even worse cliffhanger at the end.  Yeah.  And under threats of death, this story will be the long version.  *sigh, looks up*  Why me??  This is going to take forever!!!

Merodi no Yami:  *has bound and gagged Naito, drags him back*  There.  Better.  Or as good as it's going to get.

{{Naito: *spits out gag, still drunk*  Heheheh – I can make it MUCH better, hikari.  Want me to show you?  *wink* }} 

Merodi no Yami:  NO!!!  Ra, NO!!

Um, anyway, prepare yourself.  Since I've neglected all of you for so long ("I'm so sorry!!!!" *cries*), prepare yourself for the longest chapter you've ever seen!!  (Dun dun DUN!!!)  Yes, 12 pages long on this computer!!  *mutters*  I better get some reviews for this…  Speaking of reviews, a big thanks goes out to the following people:

Silver Dragon

Ami Winner

Towairaito Zoon

Karadaki

duh huh! I'm stupid!(I'd true!)

yugi_yamigal2002

boo

Kanatasha

MMW

…for reviewing my story and letting me know how they felt about the short version/long version debate.

And a HUGE thank you goes out to 

Wolfspeaker 

Ko-chan (and co.)

…for being my biggest supporters, my best buds, etc etc etc!  SHAMELESS PLUG:  Go and read their stories!!  They're awesome!!  I can't believe it, Ko-chan – dedications??  Two of them?  FOR ME??  And I hadn't even written a chapter of my story during that time???  *faints again, gets back up*  Well, then, I dedicate this entire chapter to Wolfy-chan and Ko-chan, and the entire next chapter (have it typed already, heheheheh) to Ko-chan exclusively!!!  (Though, thanks to Wolfspeaker for beta-ing it!!!)  ^_^_^_^_^

I think that's all I had to say, for now anyway….

{{Naito: *starts singing, still drunk*  OooooOOooh…when loving lovers loooovve…they loving love on wings of golden loving love, we fly above….ooooh….their love is such a soft and precious love….it's love…a lovely love is all we seem to need when we're in loving love…}}

Merodi no Yami:  *smacks head*

{{Naito:  And then - IT'S GONE!!!!  IT ISSSSS NOTHING BUUUUTT A MEMORRIEEE!!!!  And then…IT'S BACK!!! And loving lo-MMPH!!}}

Merodi no Yami:  *clamps hand over Naito's mouth*  Uh, enjoy the story!  *Naito licks her hand*  AGH!!!

{{Naito:   ^_^ *}}

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

{{blah blah blah}} – Naito talking/thinking

**_blah blah blah_** - talking in dream sequence

_blah blah blah_ - flashback

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Where we left off last time (…can you tell the authoress has a REALLY lousy memory?):

…

{{What, you don't get it?}} he asked mockingly.  {{Don't tell me you don't recognize your own soul room.}}

Merodi's heart stopped upon hearing that last statement.  She looked at him, shock and apprehension apparent as she realized the meaning behind those words.

_"You don't mean...no, you can't be...th-that's impossible!"_

{{Why Merodi,}} he smirked, {{is that any way to treat your yami?}}

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

**Destinies of the Past - Chapter 7: Heartfelt Confrontations**

{{What?  You don't like me?  I'm hurt,}} Naito continued in a mocking tone as Merodi sat staring at him, speechless.  {{Oh well, I just love retribution….}}  With that, he let loose another fierce onslaught of energy which had been building up in his hand during the conversation.  The girl, sitting in her shocked stupor, never saw it coming.  It engulfed her, then disappeared as her scream died away.  She fell face down onto the bed, unconscious.

************************************************************************

Naito turned as he heard a knock on the door in the real world.  "Merodi?" Yami's voice inquired from the other side, still sounding a little sleepy from waking up.  "Merodi, are you up?  Can I come in?"

[Kuso.  That teme no baka – as much as I'd love to strike him down right now, I can't have him interfering my plans just yet.  Hmm…this should prove to be interesting,] Naito thought with a smirk.  A bright flash, and suddenly Merodi was back in her normal room.  Groaning, she sat up, her eyes closed tight as she clutched her head.  "D-Da re?" she mumbled.

"It's me, Yami – I assume you're awake now?" asked the voice again from behind the door.

"H-Hai.  Give me a minute, I'll be right down."

"Ok, see you downstairs."

Merodi continued to sit on the bed, listening to Yami's footsteps as they retreated down the stairs towards the kitchen.  Her eyes still closed, she let her hand fall to rest on the bed, where it curled into a fist around the sheets.  She started shaking; if anyone had seen her from behind, they might have supposed that Merodi was having a small seizure.  However, the girl began to chuckle, followed by deep, rich laugher as a few cobalt streaks traced their way down her hair.  She opened her eyes.

They were blue.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yawning, Yami reached the bottom of the stairs, following the enticing smell of breakfast that came wafting in from the kitchen.  Today promised to be a good day, as the sunshine flooded the room through the windows of the living room.  Being fall, the mornings had begun to turn cold; closing his eyes, Yami stepped into one of the many sunbeams and simply stood there for a while, enjoying the old, familiar heat of the sun.  

As his mind wandered, still waking up from his deep slumber, Yami found himself replaying last night's chain of events over in his mind.  It had been both sour and sweet – first that horrible, graphic nightmare of Yugi's death; then, he had fallen asleep in his hikari's arms.  He shook his head – Yami would never be able to get over the fact of how Yugi was always putting others before himself.  He had such a kind and caring heart – how could one NOT love him?  [I'll have to do something special for Yugi today to thank him.]  Opening his eyes, Yami sighed wistfully.  He wished he could show his thanks by showering Yugi with kisses, but knew that probably wouldn't be the best approach, and would most likely result in some sort of screaming tantrum - perhaps even the destruction of the puzzle - by Yugi.  Resigned, Yami retreated from his spot, now sufficiently warm.

Yami started walking toward the kitchen, when he suddenly stopped to look at the table, a small smile growing on his face.  There in the middle sat a small bunch of red and yellow flowers, lightly placed inside of a simple, black onyx vase.  Yami found it a bit strange that Yugi would have such a container hanging around the house, but he paid it little attention as he put forth a hand to finger one of the delicate blossoms; its petals soft and shining in the morning glow.  The vase of flowers reminded him of his hikari; his hair the same color and soft texture as of that which he held in his hand.

Suddenly, he frowned.  No, this wasn't quite right.  Something was missing from the centerpiece.  He was sure of this, but couldn't figure out what it could possibly be.  Thinking, he looked up as he faced his reflection in a mirror on the wall.  Yami frowned further, staring into his own eyes.  

Red.  Blood red.  Harsh, cold, and calculating.  Yami had never cared much for them – why should he?  He had been given the eyes of a demon – no wonder his parents had named him Darkness; whenever people saw him, they half expected to see black, leather wings sprout from his back.  Every glance he gave others caused them to cower in fear – even Seto Kaiba had winced at one time or another under his haunting gaze.  Everyone – except Yugi.  No, Yugi had been different.  Upon their first meeting he had stared back at Yami, unflinching; his kind and understanding visage shocking the past-Pharaoh.  Those beautiful amethyst orbs would always enchant him to no end.

Yami suddenly started.  [Eyes.  That's it.]  Retracting his hand from the flower he was still fondling, he walked briskly to the front door, exiting as Yugi came into the room to finish setting the table for breakfast.

"Yami?" he asked the otherwise empty room.  Hearing no answer, Yugi sighed.  [Oh well – I thought I had heard him come down the stairs.  I wonder if he's still sleeping?]  Shrugging, he continued to set the table.  As he finished putting the final piece of silverware down he turned in surprise when the door flew open, revealing an equally surprised Yami.

Yugi drew a breath in sharply as he gazed at his guardian's dark form.  The sun, nearly risen, sent red, orange, and yellow flames across the sky behind him, backlighting Yami so that he was some dark, mysterious being which stood out against the blazing sky.  Every feature of him rested in the shadows, save those handsome red eyes of his.  He looked very…seductive.  Gazing at him, Yugi couldn't understand why everyone seemed so fearful of him – they seemed to think that those eyes meant that he was some sort of demon; even Yami himself appeared to hold some sort of secret grudge against his own eyes.

Rose red.  That was their color, in Yugi's mind.  Jounouchi and the others had sometimes remarked on how "freaky" Yami's eyes seemed to be, but Yugi never saw why.  To the young teen, Yami seemed to be like a red rose himself – beautiful, yet dangerous.  Was Yugi really the only one to see past Yami's numerous thorns, his defenses, to know what a kind, caring, and understanding person Yami was?  How perfect he was?  [Like a fallen angel, or a god…well, I suppose that would make sense, if he was once Pharaoh of Egypt.  But still….]  Suddenly the teen blinked, realizing he had been staring as he quickly turned away; his face burned with embarrassment.

Of course, Yami hardly noticed any of this; he was too busy gaping at his aibou to pay attention to anything else.  The same sun that shined behind him let its light flood through the window, sending a shaft of light down on Yugi's gentle form.  Combined with the afterglow of sleep, Yami could only find one word to perfectly describe the scene – Heaven.  For a fleeting moment, the guardian truly believed he **had** died, before snapping back to reality.  He stared in awe as the light made the teen's hair appear as if it were on fire.  White pants added to his glowing, angelic look; his purple shirt providing a stark contrast while simultaneously bringing out the spellbinding color of his charge's eyes.  Realizing this last thought, Yami looked down at what he had gone outside to obtain, missing Yugi's awkwardness.

In his closed hand rested a small bunch of purple flowers, matching his aibou's eyes perfectly.  With these added to the vase on the table, the arrangement would be complete.  Yami smiled slightly as he tightened his grasp on them; the smile growing as he watched Yugi rush into the kitchen, bringing back some breakfast to the table.  His heart beating a little faster than normal, Yami walked up to stand next to his hikari as he waited expectantly for Yugi to turn and look at him.  Sure enough, his charge glanced up as he finished straightening the table once again, sending his guardian a warm, radiant smile.  Yugi was about to say, "Ohayo," but something in Yami's expression kept him quiet.  His beaming expression turned to a quizzical one as the past-Pharaoh continued to stare at him – was he…nervous?  Why?

Before Yugi could ask any questions, Yami presented the flowers before him.  "Here, aibou.  These are for you."

Silence passed.  Yami raised an eyebrow as he shifted nervously, expecting Yugi to do something other than just stand there, staring at what he held in his hand.  However, Yugi's face lit up in a smile once again as he took the flowers from his guardian's hand, gently placing them in the small black vase with the other flowers he had placed there that morning.  The teen stared at them for a moment.  He had picked them because they reminded him of Yami – blond bangs, black hair, and red eyes.  Now, with the purple flowers alongside them, a bit of hope sparked within Yugi's heart.  [Purple and red – Yami, do you think we could ever be together?  As more than just friends?]  Angrily he pushed the thoughts away from his mind, telling himself he was hallucinating.  But that small spark remained.

He turned back to face Yami, beaming.  "Thank you, Yami!  But, why?" he asked.  Yami usually wasn't one for doing things like this – why the sudden change?  Sure, he'd like to believe it was because Yami loved him, but there was no way he could.  [Yes, that's it – stop right now, Yugi.  False hope never helped anyone or solved anything,] he told himself.  He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed Yami beginning to turn a shade of red after Yugi's question.  Slightly worried for his guardian's well-being, the teen quickly raised a hand to touch the other's forehead before letting it sink slightly to cup his cheek.  "Yami, are you feeling alright?  You're a little warm – are you sick?" he asked, concerned.

Yami nearly blushed brighter at his charge's care for his well-being, but managed to push it down in time.  [Yes Yugi, I am sick – love-sick…over you.]  "Don't worry, aibou," he started, quickly holding his own hand over Yugi's so as to keep it in place against his face.  "I feel fine."  Only half-realizing what he was doing, Yami closed his eyes as he nuzzled into his hikari's warm, soft hand.  After a few moments he forced himself to stop as he looked at Yugi.  His face was unreadable, but still sparkled with the same kindness and understanding that he remembered from when they first met.

Suddenly, the pharaoh dropped to his knees, dragging his hikari down with him.  Tearing his gaze away from his aibou, Yami let go of his hand as he grabbed Yugi in a protective, yet fiercely possessive, hug as he buried his face in the feathery-soft hair of his hikari.  A minute or two passed; Yami never letting go of his charge as he murmured his thanks and love in ancient Egyptian, knowing Yugi couldn't understand the language.

His eyes wide with shock at this sudden show of affection, Yugi could only come to one _rational_ conclusion.  [Yep.  He's sick.  Yami has definitely come down with something.  Fact, he's completely delusional.  …Oh well.]  Mentally shrugging, the teen happily returned the hug, relaxing into his guardian's loving embrace.  Listening to Yami speak, he soon felt himself completely melting in the arms of his protector.  He had no idea what the past-pharaoh was saying to him, but the words which he whispered were warm, sweet, and exotic as Yami's deep, baritone voice washed over him.  Eyes half-closed, Yugi reluctantly loosened his grip as the other pulled away to look at him, a similar expression on his face.

"Why?" the teen repeated softly, as if afraid to break the silence that had surrounded the two.

"What?"  Yami asked, just as quietly, as he brought his face closer to his aibou's.

"W-why?"  

Yugi could feel his face burning uncontrollably as his guardian continued to draw closer.  He stayed stuck to his spot, unconsciously pulling at the collar of his turtleneck, nervously – he was unbearably hot; when had the weather suddenly changed?

Yami never answered the question.  By this time, he had finally reached the brink.  Their faces were no more than an inch apart – any closer, and Yami would not be able to stop himself from capturing his aibou's sweet lips in his own.  He swallowed uncharacteristically as he gazed at Yugi in this dream-like state.  Nothing else existed now, save yami and hikari.  A strong, slightly tanned arm found its way to Yugi's own, tracing its way up to his shoulder before resting at the base of Yugi's head.  The teen sighed under the cool touch, sending shivers down the pharaoh's spine.

Taking the small sigh as permission, Yami dared to venture over the said line.  Ever so slowly he drew Yugi closer to him, faces nearly touching.  Eyes fluttered closed as the two moved to close the gap between them.

**"Oof!  Agh!  Ow!  Ack!  KUSO!!!"**

Eyes shot open as Yami and Yugi quickly stumbled backwards in opposite directions, staring at each other as they both realized what had just been about to happen.  Suddenly, a painful groan alerted the two boys as to what had caused the sudden interruption.  Turning their heads, the pair spied a young girl picking herself up from the bottom of the stairs, obviously having fallen down them.  They continued to watch as Merodi stood up, hugging herself tightly as she began walking into the kitchen.  Her gait seemed a bit halted and stumbling, worrying the two as she continued in her dazed stupor.  Something was very wrong.  With a quick, concerned glance at his guardian, Yugi swiftly got up and followed her, while Yami sat staring at the floor, thinking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi looked around the kitchen, feverishly.  The pressure in the back of her mind was increasing, and she didn't know how long she would be able to keep it at bay.  She closed her eyes as horrible images of Yami and Yugi lying dead on the floor entered her mind's eye.  [No.  I can't let him hurt them.  I don't know what he's up to, but no good can come of this….]

"Merodi?"

Whirling around she saw Yugi, who stared back at her with a look of concern on his face.  

"Oh, Yugi.  Um, sorry to startle you…guess I'm a bit clumsy this morning, ne?"  She tried laughing, only to result in a massive headache.  Pushing the pain aside, Merodi noticed Yugi still looking at her, obviously worried.  She was about to reassure him, when everything began to go dark.  Suddenly Merodi let out a piercing scream as she fell to her knees, clutching her head in pain.  Her body shook violently as a few beads of sweat appeared on her light skin.

"Merodi!" Yugi cried, "What's wrong?  Yami!  Yami, get in here, Merodi needs help!"

As soon as the words had left his lips, Yami ran into the kitchen to stand beside his hikari.  Sitting on his heels, he put one hand on the girl's shoulder.  "Merodi?  What's wrong?" he asked, reiterating the question his aibou had put forth.

Yami had to stop himself from drawing back in shock as Merodi raised her head to look at him with wide eyes.  Her face seemed twisted in pain as she stared, her eye color flickering between silver and sapphire.  One or two blue streaks were slowly beginning to trace down her hair.  "Yami…" she murmured, barely audible.  "Get…Yugi…out…."

"What?"

"Get…Yugi…out…now.  I-I don't know…how much…longer…I can…hold him…off…."

"What?  Who?  Hold who off?  Merodi, what's going on?" Yami demanded, briefly glancing at his hikari, who looked just as confused as he was, before returning to look at the girl kneeling on the floor.

"…I…I don't understand…but…Yami…Naito…he's…he's my yami…."  

Yami's eyes bulged, but before he could put forth any more questions, Merodi let out a blood-curdling scream before falling to the cold linoleum floor.  Just as soon as it happened, Yami noticed a bright blue light emanating from behind them.  Turning, Yami came face-to-face with the one person he had hoped not to see for another five millennia.

Naito.

His younger brother.  Naito.  Here, in flesh and blood?  The said person looked down, a little surprised himself to have a physical form.  "Well well well, isn't this nice?" he said, looking up to meet Yami's crimson eyes, eyes which were presently filled with shock and hate.  "What, not even happy to see an old relation?"  Naito smirked as Yami let out a low growl, the sapphire orbs glinting with amusement and some hidden plan.

Yami quickly stepped in front of Merodi and Yugi, who had rushed to the girl's side as soon as she had fallen to help her.  "What do you want, Naito?" he stated angrily, as he shielded the others from his brother.

Naito clicked as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.  "You never change, do you Onii-chan?"  He brought his hand up in a casual manner, palm facing Yami, before letting loose a bright blue ball of energy.  Shocked, the pharaoh had little time to react before the attack hit him square in the chest, sending him flying backward into a kitchen cupboard.  Dust and debris flew everywhere as Yugi looked up in shock, as his guardian began to get up, grunting slightly.

"Yami!" Yugi cried as the said person shook his head to clear it.  He looked at his hikari, only to feel his anger rise within him as he began to power up for an attack.  The younger teen turned his head quickly as a deep, dangerous chuckle resounded from behind him.  Looking up, blue eyes gleamed down maliciously, an evil smirk on his face.

"Hello, Yugi."

A murderous look filled Yami's eyes as he prepared to attack.  Quickly letting loose a ball of his own dark energy, Yami yelled, "You get _away_ from him, Naito!"

Naito blinked, not having realized that the puzzle had granted Yami his shadow powers after being released.  At the last possible second he jumped to the side, narrowly missing Yami's attack.  [Hmm.  This could prove to be interesting.]  He looked down, his eyes resting on a wide-eyed form as it stared back at him angrily.  Two small gasps were uttered as Naito bend down to grab Merodi, holding his own hikari up by the neck as she struggled in vain to loosen his grasp.

"Merodi!" the two exclaimed.

Smiling, Naito tightened his grip on her air pipe as she dangled in the air, frantically clawing at him as she struggled to breathe.  "One false move, Yami, and your young friend here dies."

"Let her go!" Yugi pleaded.

Naito looked at the teen, eyes narrowed.  "And give me one good reason why I should."  He stared at Yugi, waiting for an answer, not noticing Merodi as she opened her eyes to glare at him.  Before he could stop her, Merodi gripped his arm tightly for stability as she brought her legs up in a swinging kick, nailing him in the head with her foot.  Dazed, Naito let go of the girl as light flashed behind his eyes in pain, sending her sprawling to the floor as she gasped for much-needed air.  Seizing the opportunity, Yami rushed forward, tackling the blue-haired demon.

Yugi moved to Merodi's side, cautiously looking her over her injuries as she laid there, staring at him.  "Merodi, are you ok?" he whispered.

She nodded.  "Thanks, Yugi," she said weakly.  "Don't worry, I promise I won't die out on you anytime soon."

Merodi shot him a gentle smile, winking at him before passing out – her head injury proved to be too much for her to bear consciously as Yugi hovered over his friend protectively.  Suddenly, a blue beam of energy shot over the boy's head, just missing them.  Yugi turned to watch the commotion behind them worriedly.

The two brothers had begun to fight, each sending as many painful attacks at the other as possible, both of them hoping to get an opening in the other's defenses.  Blue and black energy flew across the house, leaving holes in the walls and furniture on impact.  Yami side-stepped quickly to avoid another attack as he formed a dark red beam of light, aiming it straight for Naito.  It was successful, somewhat; Naito yelled as the energy hit his shoulder.  He stumbled back, wincing, as Yami moved forward, preparing another magical attack.  The younger quickly launched a succession of short energy bursts, hoping to catch the other off guard.  However, Yami put up a defense shield just as quickly, deflecting each one back at Naito.  The blue-eyed brother ducked; he turned to watch the wall behind him begin to crumble as his attacks flew past him before looking back at Yami, who had placed a hand on his hips while holding a ball of energy up, smirking.  [Kuso!] Naito thought, gritting his teeth.  [This is getting to be harder than I anticipated.  Oh well, it would be disappointing to defeat him easily enough, anyway.]

Narrowing his eyes, Naito drew back to as a big blue ball of energy formed around him.  Seeing what he was doing, Yami stopped and did the same, his being a red-purple color.  Suddenly, both of the combatants thrust their hands forward, sending their attacks to collide in mid-air, exploding with exceptional force.  By this time there were numerous holes in the walls as the wind whipped through the room.  They repeated the attack, with the same result – a stalemate and another hole in the floor.  The two bent over, panting.

Naito straightened first, looking down at Yami.  "Well, there seems to be only one way to end this, doesn't there, Onii-chan?"

Looking up, Yami smirked before replying.  "Hmm.  For once I think you may be right, Naito.  Let's finish this, NOW."

Yugi watched as the brothers both hit a stance, their fists clenched in front of them.  He began to wonder what exactly was going on, until he spied that their fists were beginning to glow.  Without warning, a flash of energy erupted from Yami's hands, with Naito swiftly following suit.  Yugi shielded his eyes, blinded by the light that had suddenly filled the room.  When it had dimmed a bit, the teen turned to see what exactly had resulted from the sudden flash.  He stared.

Yugi watched as Yami stood tall, wielding a sword of black energy about the size and shape of a small lance.  Red energy swirled around the 'blade' as it crackled in the past-pharaoh's hands.  He faced Naito, who also possessed such a sword – though his was, of course, a cobalt blue.  Yugi could see the two of them sweat a little – the power needed to maintain such weapons was great, and both paid a toll in order to wield them.

Suddenly, the two rushed each other, meeting in the center of the room as their blades met.  Jumping back, Yami brought his sword down in a swinging arc, only to be parried by Naito's.  Soon, the younger was on the offensive as Yami blocked thrust after thrust, slowly moving backwards.  Their blades met again in stalemate, as Naito stared at him with confidence.  His face peered between the crossed swords, smirking at Yami as he growled back.  Yami was about to make a move when he heard Naito establish his own mind link with him.

{{So, Yami, having fun?}}

He smirked.  //Of course, Naito.  I'll admit, you've gotten better, but you won't win. //

{{Oooh, I'm so scared!  Go flush your head in the Nile, Pharaoh – you're delusional.}}

Blades separated, only to meet again in their previous position.  //Am I? //

Naito started for a second.  [Argh, what am I doing?  He's pulled this trick on me before, purposely holding back so he can trick me into slipping up!  Well, not this time.]

{{Hey, Yami, tell me something – how do you think I should go about killing Yugi once I've defeated you?  I've been juggling a few ideas around in my head...definitely can't be anything quick and painless, you know how it is.  Drowning, perhaps?  Or maybe I should chain him up and try my hand at modern-day surgery…I'll admit, it's intriguing, all those different tools they can use to cut up the body nowadays…so many things to choose from, compared to the old days, huh brother?}}

Naito inwardly grinned as he saw Yami's face light up in fury.  [I knew it – I knew that teme was still his weakness – now to exploit it further.]

{{Oooh, I know!  Why kill him, when I can simply take him by force?  Yes, rape can be the best tool for torture sometimes.  I know I'm not one that usually does that, I'll admit, but it's not like it would be too unpleasant on my part…he is very pretty little prince, isn't he, Pharaoh?  And breaking that little spirit of his would be so much fun, don't you agree?}}

Yami struggled to keep himself under control, but it was no use.  His temper was beginning to flare; he was enraged at Naito's words, at daring to even **_think_ about hurting his Yugi.  His anger began to spill over and cloud his mind as his brother projected a few choice scenes into his mind.  Yami's eyes were filled with hatred, but Naito ignored the look and continued his one-sided discussion, knowing that he was getting to Yami.  [What reckless thing will you do once you lose your cool, Yami?  Don't disappoint me, now.]  Naito smirked.**

{{Better yet, why don't I just chain you up, so you can watch all of the above?  No?  You don't want to see me slice the little prince open?  Oh come now, it can't be all that bad – who knows, you might enjoy watching me pump little Yugi over and over again.}}

*SNAP*  

That was it.

Yugi, not having heard the conversation between the two brothers, moved back a little as he heard Yami let out an enraged yell at the top of his lungs.  His eyes burned like fire, giving Naito a murderous glare that could have killed a mere mortal.  Yugi was shocked as Yami let his temper fly, striking at Naito with more speed and force that anyone would have thought possible.

**"KISAMA!!  YOU SICK BASTARD!!  NOW, I'LL MAKE SURE YOU ARE DAMNED TO THE UNDERWORLD FOREVER, YOU PATHETIC TEME!!"**

Now Naito was on the defensive as he began stepping back, struggling to ward off Yami's blows as they came in quickly.  Their blades clashed once more, as Yami sent him a thought of his own.

//Guess what, Naito.  You've lost, like you did in the past. I remember how you betrayed me, little brother.  Because you were too much of a coward to stand up to what needed to be done. //  He could sense his brother now beginning to become just as enraged as him – that was _his_ weakness, Yami knew all too well.

Growling, Naito let one hand go of the blade he held to form a bright blue ball of energy.  Yugi started, noticing that Yami hadn't seen the maneuver.

{{Don't be so sure, brother.}}

"Huh?"

"Yami, look out, he's going to attack!" Yugi yelled.  Yami looked down, finally noticing what Naito was about to do, but too late.  Naito sent the attack directly into the two energy blades, creating a huge explosion as the two brothers went flying, smoke billowing around them.

Yugi let out a grunt as Yami was knocked back into him from the particularly forceful blow.  Naito landed on the floor on the opposite side of the room.  Both of them were unconscious and looked the worse for wear as Yugi quickly slipped our from under his guardian to kneel at his side; one hand supporting Yami's head, while the other placed itself on his chest.  He felt a heartbeat, he was breathing, but Yami was badly wounded.  He looked at him, tears threatening to fall.  [No!  What can I do?  I have to help him!]  Suddenly, he remembered what his guardian had told him at the museum:

_"Usually, my Shadow Powers can only be used to destroy.  However, if a person with these powers is somehow connected to another of pure heart, he can use the energy from that person to heal another."_

Looking down at Yami's handsome face, Yugi only thought one thing.  

[What the hell.]

Naito started coming around as a bright light filled the room.  Looking up, he saw Yugi's eyes closed in concentration as he willed his own life energy into Yami's shadow powers, silently praying that it would work.  Sure enough, the cuts and bruises on his skin began to fade away.  

[Kuso, that little teme is healing him!  No!]  Naito snarled in frustration.  Before releasing the attack, he had placed a magical defense barrier around himself; the force of the blast had broken through it, but it had still managed to take most of the damage.

Finally, Yugi stopped as he felt himself beginning to sway in exhaustion.  He kept his eyes closed a little longer as he steadied himself.  Finally, he opened them and shook Yami gently.  "Yami, are you alright?"

Eyes fluttering open, Yami winced as he grunted in pain before replying.  "I'm ok, Yugi," he said, though not realizing that Yugi had healed many of his injuries.  "But Naito's powers are stronger now than I remember them – I think we need to get out of here."

Suddenly, Naito stood up, his features stony as he slowly walked towards the pair, unnoticed, his eyes slanted dangerously.

"No more games, Yu-Gi-Oh.  This ends now."  The two teens turned at the sound of his voice.  Without warning, Naito let loose a final fiery ball of blue energy.  Eyes widened as it hit its intended target.

Yami looked up in shock as Yugi flew into the wall from the impact.  Being so weak from healing Yami, the force of the blow knocked him unconscious as he fell to the floor, limp as a doll.

"No!  YUGI!"

Before Yami could do anything, unfortunately, Naito quickly rushed over, scooping Yugi up.  Furious, the tri-colored pharaoh stood up, ignoring the remaining pain as he saw his soul mate unconscious in the arms of this psycho he called brother.  He rushed forward, intent on taking back his love.  But just as Yami was about to make contact, Naito disappeared in a bright blue flash – and along with him, Yugi.

Yami stopped, shocked as eyes widened; realization dawning on him as he stared at the spot from which the two had disappeared.  An image suddenly flashed across his mind's eye; the most horrifying image of his dream replaying itself in front of him.  He closed his eyes, shaking.

_Suddenly, Yugi awoke with a shock as the blade pierced his skin; his amethyst eyes flashing with sudden pain and horror.  Yami's felt his heart rip from his chest as he heard the bloodcurdling screams come from his aibou, while Naito slowly pressed the knife into his chest, into his heart.  _

"No…."

_Yugi had stopped screaming._

_He simply laid there, the knife half-buried into his body; blood overflowed from the wound as Naito cruelly shoved the limp, cold body to lie at Yami's feet.  Dull, lifeless eyes gazed up at Yami._

Sinking to his knees, Yami stared before sending all his fear and anger into a single desperate punch, creating a huge hole in the wall.  As the sunlight touched his face, a tear could be seen revisiting Yami as he shook.

_"...no...NO...YUGI!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami:  So?  Good?  Bad?  Whatdya think?  Huh?  Huh?  Do you read me, people?  DO YOU READ ME??

{{Naito:  Like a book.}}

Merodi no Yami: _ …you've been watching too much MST3K again.  *sigh*  Well, I may or may not post the next chapter right away – see, the next two happen during the same time frame, and I don't know which one I want to go first – I may have to save the chapter I have now for later and get to work on writing the other one, which means you people will have to wait.  *smirk*  Hey, Naito, are you still drunk?

{{Naito:  …uh…I was drunk?}}

Merodi no Yami:  Apparently not.

{{Naito:  Huh?  What's going on?  And why do I have a headache?}}

Merodi no Yami:  Hey, don't ask me.  I never touch alcohol, really.

{{Naito: …uhhhh…I'm going to go crash….}}

*CRASH*

Merodi no Yami:  Well, I can say I didn't expect him to mean that literally…oh well…please review, everyone!!  Let me know how this went!  Flames accepted, but will probably be used for lighting Naito's bed on fire.  Why?

…uh, why not?  It's fun!!!  Really!!  Talk to you later!


	8. Pain

****

Merodi no Yami: Ok, what the heck.  Here's the eighth chapter.  Enjoy, everyone – it's got background info on the conflict between Yami and Naito, and ends with some Yugi angst.  This one's the normal length in the way of chapters – sorry if you were expecting it to be as long as the last one.

{{Naito: *still passed out on bed*}}

Merodi no Yami:  *brushes a bang or two out of his face*  *SIGH*  Well, I suppose one good thing about all this is that he's not causing any more havoc…for now, anyway…*groan*  Ack, he's going to be so POed at me when he wakes up, even though I didn't do anything.  Oh well.

Disclaimer:  Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, don't own Ken Kesey or One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  Yes, you heard me right.  So, can any of you guys guess what the Yugi angst is going to be now?  *snicker*  This is Yaoi, YY/Y fun stuff.  Caution: pain ahead.

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

{blah blah blah} – Merodi talking

{{blah blah blah}} – Naito talking

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

****

**Chapter 8 - Pain**

[Ugh…itai…where am I?]

A young, tri-colored teen by the name of Yugi Muoto laid in the middle of a large room, finally returning to the world of consciousness.  With as much force as he could muster, Yugi opened his eyes to a bright light penetrating the darkness around him.  He winced, but as his pupils adjusted he was able to see that the bright light was actually a lamp hanging over him – the only light in the room, in fact.  Turning his head, he was able to decipher from the shadows that he was in some sort of storeroom, with a large piece of machinery sitting near the wall to the right of him, as if trying to hide itself in vain.  Yugi's head scratched in annoyance from something that had been smeared on, but when Yugi tried to move his hand to rub the substance away, he suddenly found he was unable to pick his hand up.  Finally waking up completely, Yugi looked down to see leather straps bound and secured his hands and feet to a large metal table.  Finally, he found his voice as he looked around.  "What the-?"

"So, you're finally awake."

Yugi turned his head to see who had spoken, though by the tone of voice he could already guess who his captor was.  His sight rested on Naito, towering above him; a crazed, somewhat insane look in his eyes as he smiled down at his victim.  His hair was a little more wild now, reminding Yugi briefly of Bakura's demon-like appearance.

Ignoring the small bit of fear that had started to grow within him, Yugi glared at Naito.  "What?  What's going on, what do you want?" he fired at him, his tone demanding.  Naito smirked before replying.

"One question at a time, little prince."  Naito's smirk widened as he saw the look of confusion on Yugi's face.  "What?" he said in mock horror, "You mean you don't remember?"  Yugi's blank, yet angry, expression was answer enough.  The Yami-look-alike sighed before hopping up to sit on the edge of the metal table that Yugi was strapped to.  "Hmm…where to begin?..." he mused.  Yugi still kept quiet, determined not to speak to the teen unless absolutely necessary – he didn't want Naito to think he had absolute control over him.  Naito looked over to see the teen's determined look.  He laughed, but to Yugi's surprise it sounded neither cruel nor menacing at all.  It was just…a laugh.

Noticing this, Naito responded to Yugi's unspoken question.  "Ne, this is going to take a while.  But you're not going anywhere, now are you?"  He smirked.  "If there's one thing I believe, it's that everyone should know who they are – or rather, in your case, who you were."  His face darkened, as if remembering something, before it retreated again, revealing a cockier, slightly younger version of Yami.  "How it began….

"Yami and I are brothers.  Him slightly older than myself, though by no more than a year…I don't quite understand your calendar system, so I can't tell you exactly….  Anyway, as you probably know, our father was Pharaoh of Egypt.  Of course, the land back then was split into two; the Upper and Lower Kingdoms.  Our father ruled over the former…before his untimely death.  That's when Yami and I were forced to lead the people, before we even had a chance to grow up.

"So, we exited our childhood into these 'teen' years, as you tend to call them.  Yami, being the oldest, was crowned Pharaoh, while I remained a prince.  We worked closely together, for a while at least.  We began to grow apart…certain differences in ideas and preference getting in the way of coming to a decision every so often."

"Like what?" Yugi asked, before he could stop himself.  He mentally cursed – curiosity had always managed to get the best of him at the worst of times, and he had broken his 'vow of silence'.  Naito, who had been staring off into space while telling his story, turned to glance an eye on Yugi, eyebrow raised in the trademark Yami fashion.

"Well," he continued, "take mating preferences for example.  I always preferred girls, while Yami was into guys."  A little smirk reappeared on his face as he saw Yugi's eyes widen as the younger teen registered this last bit of information.  "You didn't know?  Ra, you're more clueless than I thought.

"Yes, Yugi.  That's where you come in.  See, having both a Lower and Upper realm of Egypt tended to cause problems in all the areas – trading, politics, religion – and so Yami and I had decided to take Lower Egypt by force, uniting the two realms and thereby fixing this problem.  All was going well and according to plan, until one day Yami decided to take a walk along the bank of the Nile.  And can you guess what happened?  He found you – you, a little, spineless brat who, in anyone else's eyes, was simply a stupid commoner.  But still, the resemblance between you and Yami was as it is today, so, intrigued, he brought you back to the palace.  And can you guess what happened after that?  He fell in love with you."

Yugi's eyes were just as wide as before – upset by the jabbing comments Naito had sent his way, yet also shocked.  [Yami loved me?  Then why, why didn't he ever say anything about it?  Or has time changed him – did he change his mind while stuck inside the puzzle?  What if he thinks of me now as Naito does?]  Yugi shook his head mentally, pushing those things from his thoughts, his near kiss with Yami resurfacing in his mind.  [Nonsense – Yami's the best friend I've ever had…I can't start thinking that way.  That's just what Naito wants.]  He focused his attention back on Naito, who had been quietly watching the other, enjoying the inner turmoil Yugi was going through.  Upon seeing Yugi's resolute face, he sighed and continued.

"Yami loved you, true, and soon it became known throughout the land that the Pharaoh had found love in a simple commoner.  It was forbidden; soon you were to be thrown out and exiled from Upper Egypt for tempting the Pharaoh.  But then, wouldn't you know it…you revealed to all of us your secret, at the last moment – that you were actually Prince and heir to the throne of Lower Egypt.  Who would've guessed, that such a worthless, sniveling kid like you was actually nobility, let alone an upstart Pharaoh?  That settled it – you and Yami were wed instantly, and the two lands reunited peacefully.  Woo hoo."

Yugi would have asked something, or perhaps retorted against a few of Naito's statements, but he quickly noticed that that sadistic look had begun to reappear on his captor's face.  [That isn't it.  There's something he's not telling me…and that something is why he hates Yami and I so much…it has to be.]  Acting against his better judgment, he finally decided to speak up after a few minutes of tense silence had passed.  But before he could get a word out, Naito flashed angry sapphire eyes at him, growling.

"Yes.  You two got together, and ruined my life.  It was bad enough when I was simply a shadow – HIS shadow, the shadow of the Pharaoh.  Always second-rate in others' eyes, always the origin of anything that went wrong in Egypt.  Who was blamed for all _your problems?  Me.  Who was accused of treason against Yami?  Me.  Who was labeled as murderer of the past Pharaoh?  **ME**.  Yami's name means darkness, doesn't it?  Did you know that mine, Naito, means night?  Sort of like the shadow of darkness, if you will…the night can't exist without darkness, but darkness can exist even in the daytime.  That baka, Yami, always used me as some sort of pawn – I was always the one to do his dirty work, getting my hands bloodied while his stayed clean and pristine."  Yugi noticed that Naito was beginning to raise his voice and becoming more and more upset as he ranted, but didn't dare say anything at this point.  Suddenly, Naito's expression melted into one of hopelessness as he looked down at the floor._

"No, I did not kill my father.  No, I didn't.  How could I?  He brought me up, I was his son.  Sure, he was a bit rough at times…it was self-defense, really.  It couldn't be helped!  He kept blaming me for Mother's death…she died when she gave birth to me…hah, I wonder if she knew what kind of son I'd grow up to be.  Ogas-sama…I never got to know you…and father always blamed me for it…was it really my fault, dear mother?  Did you foresee that your two sons would be growing up without you, without anyone?  Could you have known what unhappiness you cursed me with when you died?

"Yes…unhappiness…that's a nice, gentle way of putting it, ne?  It was more like feeling the blade of the burning scythe."  Hopelessness turned into rage as he turned, grabbing Yugi by the shoulders fiercely, shocking the teen as wide amethyst met narrowed sapphire.  "And just when I thought things might just start going my way, YOU showed up, Yugi.  Finally, we were going to take over Lower Egypt, and I would have a place in life as the new ruler of the kingdom there, a life of my own.  But Yami went back on his promise, the day he met you.  I'll admit, you can't avoid what you are or how you're born, but Ra dammit, Yami never looked at me as a brother – he regarded me as some lowly slave, the dirt under his feet.  It was ok for _him to break all the promises he had made to me over the years, to make sure I felt as much pain as possible throughout my life…the kisama…Yami took after Otous-sama a little ****__too well…well, I've had enough of that.  I've had enough of the pain and suffering – it's about time someone else took that responsibility.  And do you know whose turn it is, little Yugi?  Yours.  Yours and Yami's.  **ESPECIALLY** Yami's."  _

By this time he had been shaking Yugi in rage as the said boy stared back, listening to Naito's ranting.  Suddenly, he let go, allowing Yugi's head to fall back on the table rather violently.  As the teen recovered from the shock, Naito brought forth a hand to press down on his forehead, causing the itchy annoyance from before to turn into a searing pain.  The captive could feel blood slowly dripping from his skull as he looked up at Naito while grimacing.  Naito lowered his head so he was only inches away from Yugi's, before whispering quietly, "You know, it's interesting how many different methods of torture you mortals have been able to think up since ancient times.  While I was rooting through Merodi's memories when we first met, I came across an intriguing section of information…you have a class at your place of learning called 'Crime and Punishment', do you not?"

Yugi blinked, unable to speak.  He remembered that such a class existed at school.  He also remembered that no one enjoyed taking it, for the teacher seemed to be unusually blunt and non-feeling, many times showing tapes and videos of particularly violent, disgusting forms of torture from way-back-when.  Merodi had taken that class her first year in high school, not aware of what it actually contained.  Yugi had seen her exit the classroom more than once with a solemn, brooding expression on her face – she was one of those people who was able to stomach the types of things that were discussed, but that didn't necessarily mean that she had to like it.  Realizing that Naito had all this information now, Yugi stared at his tormentor as he smiled, seeing that Yugi had fully caught the gist of what Naito was telling him.

"Yes…a very interesting class…but I happened to find one particular entry to be most intriguing.  Did you know that, in a land across the sea – Amerika, I believe – the people used to punish their fellow man with a form of torture that used…what do you call it?  Ah, electricity, that's right.  I'll admit I'm not quite sure what it is, but I can assure you I have enough knowledge as to how to use it.  And that, when used in a certain way, it can cause extreme pain.  You've heard of Electro-Shock Therapy?  Guess what you're in story for, Yugi."

Ok, forget being brave in the face of danger – Yugi was scared now.  He tried not to let it show, but inside he was cringing, wishing that Yami were there.  [Yami!]  He mentally pleaded, [Yami, where are you?]

Naito got off the table as he slowly made his way around, checking to make sure the leather straps had Yugi securely fastened to the table.  As soon as he started walking away to adjust some settings on a nearby piece of equipment, Yugi opened his mind link with his protector, hoping against hope that Naito wouldn't take notice.

/Yami?  Yami, are you there?/

//YUGI!!  Thank Ra, where are you?  Are you alright?  What's happened?  Where's Naito?//

/I-I don't know…it's a big room…dark…I can't tell.  Naito's here, but I don't know how long it will be until he can sense us talking./

{{Oh, it didn't take that long, I assure you.}}

Yugi's eyes widened as he turned his head to see two orbs of blue gleaming in the shadows, grinning maliciously.

//…Naito?//

{{Hello Yami.  Nice to hear from you.  But I'm afraid I can't talk with you right now – I have to get Yugi ready for his torture session, if that's alright with you.}}

//WHAT??  NAITO, DON'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON YUGI, YOU KISAMA!!//

{{Oh don't worry, 'Onii-chan'…I promise I won't lay a finger on him.}}

{Naito!!  Whatever you're planning on doing, please stop!!}

For the first time since the conversation began, Yugi saw Naito waver, not expecting another voice to enter the conversation.  {{…Merodi?}}

{Yes – please, leave Yugi out of this!!}

//I swear, Naito, if you hurt Yugi I'll-//

{{I have only three letters for you, Merodi.  E-S-T.  Hope you have a good day.}}

Naito started to walk back over to where Yugi was, his hand covered in a light blue film of energy.  He reached for Yugi's head, as the said person frantically spoke with Yami.

//Yugi, what's going on?  What is he doing?//

/Yami, I don't have time, ask Merodi.  Please, just get here soon, or I might not b-/

//Yugi?  YUGI!!!//

/……/

As Naito had put his hand on Yugi's head, the connection between yami and hikari was suddenly severed.  Yugi's eyes went wide, feeling empty and utterly heart-broken now that his bond with Yami had been cut.  He was no longer scared – he was terrified.  It was if he had been standing on solid ground, when suddenly it opened up beneath him, swallowing him up in the deep abyss below.  Silent tears began tracing down his pale cheeks as he mentally screamed in sorrow, the ache deepening, knowing that he may never see Yami again.  Naito just smiled further, letting loose a frightening, booming laugh.  Grabbing Yugi's chin, the tormentor quickly stuck a piece of rubber in between his teeth before retreating out of his sight, explaining, "We don't need you biting off your tongue involuntarily during this 'session', now do we?  Gods know I don't need you dying on me when we've just started to have some fun, right?"  He laughed again as eyes widened.  The same amethyst orbs began darting back and forth as Naito moved a silver band to secure Yugi's head in place, also moving two metal irons to sit on either side of his head.  By this time, Yugi was struggling violently against his bonds, his heart thumping rapidly against his chest as Naito finished his final preparations.

As Naito walked away from the table, Yugi could here him advise softly, "You might want to relax, little prince – with all this power surging through you, you might break a couple bones.  Then I'd have to go and fix them all before starting again."  Before Yugi could make any sort of mental reply, Naito had reached the control panel.  Without warning he turned the first switch on, causing the soldering irons to draw closer to the teen's head, until it almost touched the smooth, cool metal that secured his head in place.  Naito flipped the second and final switch.

The electricity ran through the machine, forming an arc of violent light as it jumped from the irons to the band on Yugi's head.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, Yugi was overtaken by the sudden surge of electric energy to his temples.  His entire body went rigid as the power of the electricity violently lifted his body off the table – the leather straps cut deep into his skin, struggling to keep his taut, arced form secured as thousands of volts coursed through his body.  Blood seeped from his numerous wounds, forming a few small puddles on the floor of the dark storeroom.  His jaw clamped shut, nearly biting through the rubber between them as the powerful, fiery energy continued to race through his body.  His hair literally stood on end as the electricity continued to snap and crackle, still arcing from the irons to his head.

Yugi had never felt such pain in his life, not even in the Shadow Realm.  There, his life force was simply drained away little by little; here, his small form was quickly breaking down from the incredible overload of energy.  His eyes shut tight; he could feel every limb, every muscle in his body flaring in pain, as if he were burning from the inside out.  It was so intense, he barely noticed that his hands were balled up into fists, his nails cutting into the inside of his palms.  Fact, he couldn't sense anything, save that torturous overload of electricity.  Yugi could feel his head about to explode as he let out a murderous, blood-curdling scream, his heart and soul being ripping to shreds under the extreme pain.  His screams continued to increase in volume, the pain never faulting, until suddenly the world around him ceased to be as he slipped into unconsciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami:  Well?  What do you people think?  I haven't seen anyone on FF.net use EST as a torture device yet…well, not in the YGO section, anyway.  Hope you guys like this new twist – like I said before, I'm trying to make this different from all the other YGO fics out there…hope it's working; there's a lot of clichés in the YGO section that I tried to avoid, don't know if I did. Oh well.  As long as you people continue liking this story, I'll keep writing.  (Though, it's getting hard writing this without the prequel.  I'll probably have to come back and change some stuff later.  Yeah.  Oh well.  Oh yeah, and Yami's shirt right now is a short-sleeved, black silk dress shirt – I changed it.  Not that anyone CARES….oh well.)  Time to go to bed – it's the start of a new quarter tomorrow!  Please review and make me happy!!


	9. Reestablishing Connections

Merodi no Yami: Ohayo, minna-san!!

Naito:  {{-_-…it's 9:30pm, aibou.}}

Oh, details details.  Well, how is everyone doing?  I hope it was a happy Easter weekend!!

{{Hmpf.  What's so happy about it?  First I get stuck over at Ko-chan's – AGAIN – and now it's raining.  *pouts*}}

You don't like the thunderstorm outside?  Gee, given your personality, I thought you'd love it.

{{…it didn't rain in Egypt.  Not this often, anyway.}}

Whatever.  I like the rain and thunder and lightning, it's cool!  ^_^  God's own fireworks show, if you ask me!!  Oh well, on to the warnings and stuff.

Warning:  Y/Y.  If you can't stomach it, well…you're weird.  Go away, we no like you.  Oh, and you should probably be warned that I don't like this chapter…it starts out good, but I think it goes downhill from there.  Oh well, you're the reviewers – you decide.

Disclaimer:  Uh…letssee, what stuff did I rip off of in this chapter…?  Um, ok, yeah – so, I don't own Yugioh, nor do I own One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (where EST idea came from).  The only things I own here are this storyline, Merodi (not me – couldn't think of a better name at the time), and Naito, who happens to be MY personal bishie, whom I may rent out to people for a small fee.  ^_^  *grabs Naito in a big hug*  Yay, Naito-chan!!

{{!!!!!  Ai..bou…can't…breathe…ack!...*pries MnY off*  Get OFF!!  What, are you spending time with Dai or something?  *cough*  Which reminds me, hikari….}}

Hmm?

{{What EXACTLY was Dai talking about in that last review?}}

Huh?  Oh, that's right, you were drunk.  Yeah, you kissed him.

{{….}}

And Aete too, I think.  I dunno, I decided to stay out of it.  Though now I'm curious, since you're SUPPOSED to be straight….

{{!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!}}

Naito?

{{IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!  *runs from room*}}

Heh heh.  It's fun to scare my yami…ESPECIALLY when it's with the truth….  Well, anyway, here's a thank you to the following people:

Wolfspeaker

Randomasdf

TidBits

CutieCherry

boo

Ko-Chan

…for reviewing the last chapter.  ^_^  Glad you people liked it…well, I think you liked it…dunno, got a couple of people saying, "Wow, that's very unique,"…so I'm just going to interpret that as a happy thing.  ^_^

OOOH!!!  Shameless advertising here!!  If anyone would like to send me fan-art for this story (or any of my other ones, in fact), I promise to glorify your name and put your artwork up on my new website (which is currently under construction, hence the site name isn't listed here).  

Also, I know I don't update on a regular basis like I should, so I've created something called The YY OneShot Database – it's basically a collection of one-shot Y/Y fics, if you haven't already figured that out.  Just to help you folks along a bit when I don't update this story right away.

…think that's it.  Wow.  Ok, onwards!!

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

{blah blah blah} – Merodi talking

{{blah blah blah}} – Naito talking

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Destinies of the Past - Chapter 9: Reestablishing Connections**

****

"Itai…head…."  Merodi mumbled as she put a hand to her temples, trying to stop the slightly throbbing pressure.  Sitting up on the floor, she opened her eyes and looked around blearily.  [It's so bright in here…did Mr. Muoto have new skylights put in or something?]  Upon looking up and noting that there really wasn't much of a roof left to put new skylights in, Merodi shook her head as she recalled the events before she had passed out.

[So, Yami and Naito must have fought?  Wow.  I never thought those two could cause this much damage…wonder what happened?]  She let her gaze travel around what was left of the room, when it suddenly came to rest on a spiky-headed figure.  He was kneeling on the floor, his back to her.  Noting the attire the person was wearing, she got up shakily before walking towards, calling his name.  "Yami?  Yami, what happened here?  Where's Yugi?  And Naito?"

She walked around to face the figure, waiting for an answer.  Yami seemed to have not heard her at all, however, as he continued to stare off into space.  Merodi's brow furrowed as she looked up at the sky.  It was mid-day now – how long had that battle gone on?  Had Yami been sitting there since that morning?  She looked back down into those red eyes.  No malice, no happiness, no nothing…they were completely blank.  Which could only mean one thing.

Naito had taken Yugi.

Merodi sighed, knowing Yami must be blaming himself at this point for losing his hikari.  She put a hand on his shoulder, shaking him gently.  "Ne, Yami, wake up.  We need to go get Yugi."  

Still no reply.  By this point, the girl began to become seriously frustrated.  Yugi was in danger, and Yami was just sitting here staring into the now-non-existent wall!  Who knew how long she had been out since the end of the battle, and Yami had done nothing!!  She began shaking him harder and calling his name, the pressure of her headache increasing, until finally she couldn't take it anymore.

She slapped him hard across the face, getting him to blink before she started yelling at the top of her lungs.

"YAMI, YOU BAKA!!!  WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING, JUST SITTING AROUND HERE, WHEN YUGI NEEDS YOUR HELP?"

Finally Yami looked up at her, blinking.  He had been stuck in the agony of watching Yugi die over and over again since his aibou had been taken away, when the slap had finally broken the cycle.  He put a hand to his cheek where she had hit him and looked up, staring at the fuming girl above him.

She let out a curse of frustration.  "YAMI!!  DON'T YOU LISTEN??  YUGI IS OUT THERE WITH NAITO, WHO IS DOING GOD KNOWS WHAT TO HIM, WHILE YOU'RE JUST SITTING HERE WALLOWING IN YOUR OWN SELF-PITY!!  WHAT KIND OF PROTECTOR ARE YOU?"

[Shimatta, I shouldn't have said that,] she thought as she saw his reaction.  Fully aware now, Yami's eyes filled with a hopelessness and despair she had never seen before.  He lowered his head in shame, staring at what was left of the living room floor.

"Yami – I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No Merodi.  You're right," he said quietly.  "By now, Yugi's probably dead – all because of me.  Me and my stupidity.  I've failed him as his protector - he never should have been chosen to be my hikari; Yugi would be safe now if I hadn't come into his life.  This is all my fault."

Sighing, Merodi knelt beside the past-pharaoh, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.  "Iie, Yami.  You know very well that if Yugi heard what you just said, he would have yelled at you for saying something so stupid.  Yugi loves you heart and soul, and you know it."

Yami said nothing in reply.  He continued to look at the ground as a gentle breeze blew past his face.  Noticing a slight movement out of the corner of his eye, Yami looked up slightly.  The gentle wind quietly pushed forward a small, purple flower to rest near the teen's hand.  He reached slightly to grasp it lightly in his hand as he smiled slightly, reminiscing – it was one of the flowers that he had given Yugi that same morning.  He stared at it, slightly surprised that it had survived the blast.

[Yugi….]  He remembered the happy reaction his aibou had to the present, and the incident slightly afterwards.  In his mind's eye, images began to flash before him.  His aibou's melodious laughter.  A piggy-back ride.  A duel monsters game.  A sunset.  The quick flit of crimson, black, and gold as his aibou turned to look at him, smiling radiantly.  All of the memories of Yugi which Yami treasured blurred into one as he saw his hikari standing there, calling his name as he smiled innocently.

_Yami...._

His hand closed around the flower as Yami slowly stood up to face the horizon.  [Yugi….] he thought with a look of determination.

[I'm coming for you.  Hold on.]

Merodi looked up at him, slightly startled by his sudden change in mood.  Nonetheless, she was glad to see him out of his stupor and back on his feet again.  He looked down at her, a slight smirk on his face.

"Come on.  Let's go get Yugi."

For the first time that day Merodi smiled with a determination outdone only by Yami.  She got to her feet and slapped him on the back.  "Well, what are we waiting for?  Let's go!

Yami smiled also, briefly, before he went into a state of shock.

"Yami?  Yami, what's wrong?!" the girl asked worriedly as Yami's eyes widened.

However, he continued to ignore her as he stood there.  Suddenly, he had felt his mind link open – not knowing if it was Naito, he simply waited with bated breath until a familiar voice rang in his head.

/Yami?  Yami, are you there?/

Yami let out a sigh of relief.  //YUGI!!  Thank Ra, where are you?  Are you alright?  What's happened?  Where's Naito?//

/I-I don't know…/ came the reply, obviously nervous.  /It's a big room…dark…I can't tell.  Naito's here, but I don't know how long it will be until he can sense us talking./

{{Oh, it didn't take that long, I assure you.}}

Yami started, quickly grabbing Merodi's arm.  Startled, the girl was about to question the other when suddenly she heard his voice in her head.

//…Naito?//

{{Hello Yami.  Nice to hear from you.  But I'm afraid I can't talk with you right now – I have to get Yugi ready for his torture session, if that's alright with you.}}

//WHAT??  NAITO, DON'T YOU DARE LAY A HAND ON YUGI, YOU KISAMA!!//  The grip he had on Merodi's arm tightened, but the girl said nothing, more focused on the conversation at hand.

{{Oh don't worry, 'Onii-chan'…I promise I won't lay a finger on him.}}

{Naito!!  Whatever you're planning on doing, please stop!!}

Yami turned to look at her, bewildered.  How was it that she was able to hear and speak during their mental conversation?  Come to think of it, he could also sense her emotions over the now four-way link – determination, concern, and…pity?  For Naito?  Why?

Apparently Yami wasn't the only one who was shocked, as his brother's voice replied uncertainly.

{{…Merodi?}}

{Yes – please, leave Yugi out of this!!}

//I swear, Naito, if you hurt Yugi I'll-//

{{I have only three letters for you, Merodi.  E-S-T.  Hope you have a good day.}}

With that, Merodi felt the bond break off from her and from Naito at the same time.  She stood there, staring, as Yami frantically continued talking to his aibou.

//Yugi, what's going on?  What is he doing?//

/Yami, I don't have time, ask Merodi.  Please, just get here soon, or I might not b-/

//Yugi?  YUGI!!!//

/……/

Nothing.  He could no longer sense him.  Whirling around, Yami faced Merodi.  "Merodi, what did Naito mean by EST?"

The girl continued staring for a few seconds before turning to Yami, her eyes shimmering with tears.  [Oh Yugi, I'm so sorry…this is all my fault…I'm so sorry….]  "EST…stands for Electro-Shock Therapy…it's a type of punishment that was used back in North America 30 or 40 years ago….  It's…basically…electrocution…though not enough to actually kill a person…of course, if he uses it too much…."  She trailed off, before hiding her hands in her face.

[Yugi….]  Quickly, Yami tried to reestablish his connection with Yugi.  As soon as he thought he was successful, however, his knees buckled as he began shaking, the immense pain overflowing into his mind.  He could feel his body beginning to seize up, unaware of Merodi's cry of panic.  Suddenly the link severed itself under the immense strain, and Yami fell to the floor, eyes wide.  Merodi kneeled beside him, shaking him frantically.

"Yami!  Yami, wake up, please!!!"

After a few moments, Yami began stirring again.  Groaning he got up, putting a hand to his head as he winced.  "Ahhh….what was that?" he wondered aloud.

"You tried to connect with Yugi again?"

"Yeah."

She sighed.  "Can you absorb pain through a mind link?"

"Yes…wait, are you saying-?"

She nodded sadly.  "Yes – you tried to connect with Yugi while he was undergoing EST…though judging by your reaction with just a little bit of it, I can't imagine what Yugi must be going through."

Silence.  Then -

"Merodi.  Do you have a car?"

She looked up at him, his face stony yet resolute.  "H-hai, it's parked outside."

"Good.  We're going to get Yugi."

As they stepped out of what remained of the game shop and walked towards the car, Yami made a solemn promise.  [Yugi, I swear I will find you.  I swear that I'll rescue you.  And I swear I will never let anyone harm you again.]  His hand tightened around the purple flower that was still in his hand.  [I'm coming, Yugi.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami: Wow, can you believe it?  This is actually going to get posted before midnight, how wonderful!!!

Well, minna-san, hope you enjoyed it, please review and make me happy!!  ^_^  Or send fan art, that'd be cool too…(hey, yeah, Ko-chan – did you ever get that scanner to work?  Hmm?).  Next chapter coming soon!

…now where did Naito go…I'd better go fix him before he goes out and tries to…well…I dunno, do something bad…yeah.  *rolls eyes*  Yeah, I'm golden today, all right.  *sigh*  Ja ne!!


	10. A Bloody Memory

MnY:  AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Naito:  {{o_O?  What is it now, aibou.}}

*stutters*  I-I just went back and read through all my previous chapters…and…and…

{{*sigh*  What did I tell you?}}

THEY'RE SO BAD!!!!  *crying*  I can't believe that people actually reviewed them and said that they liked them!!  Noooo!!  And now I can't even go back and re-edit everything, since I'm pressed for time and I'm trying to get this story finished by June-!  NOT FAIR!!

{{*groan*  Aibou.  Stop whining.  I'm getting a headache.}}

And NOW I'm afraid that this chapter is just as bad as the last one, and I don't know what to do and my head is spinning and I know where I want the story to end but I can't seem to get there and all the gods hate me and-

*WHACK*

@_@

{{-_-''''  Yakamashi, hikari no baka.  Pft.  Stupid; I told her this wouldn't be any good, but does she ever listen to me?  NO….}}

*shakes head, sighs*  Oh well.  That's life I suppose.

Well, thanks to the following people:

Wolfspeaker

Towairaito Zoon

Yugi  {{What?  What's that brat doing around here?  *smack*  OW!!  Hikari!}}

TidBits

And the Reviewer-Award-Of-The-Year goes to…. Ko-chan and co.!

{{WHAT???  Those bakas?}}

Heeheehee!  Ko-chan and the others have been so nice and so entertaining – they even sent us FanArt of Naito!!  It's on my website, which I promise I will put up as soon as I'm able!  Thanks again, the pic is sooo awesome!  ^_^_^

{{*looks at picture*  That's ME???  Man, a blind man could've done a b-}}

*WHACK*  *grabs Naito by shirt front*  You should only be so lucky that Ko-chan saved you from Dai while you were in your little drunken stupor last time.  You really think she's going to help you if it happens again?

{{*remembers last review, eyes widen*  Errr…I'm sorry!  Ko-chan, you're the best, really!  …I refuse to say anything about Dai, though.}}

*puts him down*  Hmpf.  Anyway, like I was saying, because Ko-chan and co. have been so incredibly awesome, because…well…they ARE…I've decided to dedicate the rest of this story to them!  Yay!  *does happy dance*  Oh, not that the rest of you aren't important and loved by me – far from it!!  I love you all, especially since you've managed to struggle through these pathetic chapters of mine!

{{*rolls eyes*  You can say that again…}}

O_o?  *shrug*  I love you all, especially since you've managed to struggle through these pathetic chapters of mine!

{{o_o  What-?}}

…Ah, yes – and before we begin, we have the disclaimer:

Disclaimer:  Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh (or Yuugiou, for that matter), don't own Ken Kesey, don't own any hospitals, don't own SQUAT – just this storyline, Merodi, and Naito-chan here.  *BIG hug*

{{*strained gasp*  For the LAST TIME AIBOU, are you trying to kill me???}}

*grins evilly*  Sore wa himisu desu.

{{o_o}}

Oh, also, a note of warning – the first section is from Yugi's point of view, specifically it's his train of thought after one of his 'treatments'.  There's a lot of foreshadowing to further chapters, and allusions to what will be the prequel to this story, but in all honesty it's not really supposed to make sense.  So, if it doesn't, don't worry, everything will be fine, I promise.  Also, while we're on the discussion of warnings, there is suicide ahead, though not by any of our main characters.  I didn't go into a whole lot of description, I don't think, but if even the mentioning of such things disturbs you, skip over it.  This also has the tinest bit of fluff, even though it's not suppose to be there.  ^_^;;;  Eh heh….

Well, good luck!  If you can make it all the way through without throwing up, I applaud you!

{{…quite.  ^_^}}

**blah blah blah** - point of view

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**Destinies of the Past - Chapter 10: A Bloody Memory**

**Yugi's Point of View**

Air raid!

The dragons are coming.

What are you doing?

YUGI!

Screams everywhere.

The monsters are attacking.

Run, run, RUN.

Night.

Knight.

Darkness.

My hands are red – they are the Nile, drenched in blood.

Drip, drip, drip.

Feeling weak – where is my strength.

I see it now – it's…crying?

Father never cried for me.

Father pushed Mother.

Spiky blue hair pushed too.

Mother was an angel.

Too bad she couldn't walk on water.

There she goes – drowning in the demon's eyes.

Another scream.

A look-alike writhes in pain.  I try to help, but I'm stuck – the water's trying to pull me down.

Who are you?

Ra blazes overhead.

What?  Attacking?  Where?

_"In another time, you could have been pharaoh."_

I sit on the sand, looking up.  A demon has come for me.  I wonder if he's come to finish the job that was started.  My parents died in the fire, its power by Ra's himself.  Stranger kneels before me, staring.  Wait – he's smiling?  Those eyes.  I always liked the color red over blue.  I wonder if he can hear the dead singing as well.  I watch as angel wings sprout from his back, unfurling and protecting me.  I fall asleep, only to wake up to darkness.  Falling, falling into the abyss.

Light.  Dark.

Can't have light without dark.

Will you be here when I wake?

I failed you.  How do you know it won't happen again?

_"I believe in you, Yugi."_

Yami.

Light.  It's a lamp.

The golden orb that I thought was the sun – Ra – is just a simple standing lamp, piercing the darkness of the room around me.

Yami.

You tried to take the pain away, didn't you?  Tried to find me within my jumbled thoughts?

I can't remember.  I know Naito did something, something that hurt.  But what?

He wants you.  This I know.

But, I don't – I _can't _– remember.

I think this is the third time.  Could be more.

His maniacal laughter – that I CAN remember.

Is this what it was like, Yami?  When you were trapped in the puzzle – is this how you lost your past?

Bit by bit?  Like sand through an hourglass?

I now see how you lost everything, a little at a time.  Though, for you, it simply slipped away.

My memory's being painfully extracted with each "session".

I'm scared.  For once, I'm truly scared.

Yami, where are you?

**End POV**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Which way do we go now?"

"I don't know."

Silence.  Then, the voice continued.

"I'm going to try and connect with Yugi again."

Merodi stopped walking.  Since Yami's last contact, they had been able to narrow down Yugi's location to Kaze Avenue.  Having parked the car, the two exited and had started looking around when Merodi posed the question.  She looked at her companion worriedly, vividly remembering what had happened last time.

"Yami, are you sure?"  Her concern was answered by her friend's fiery glare.  She stepped back, a little afraid.

He relaxed as he saw her retreat in apprehension.  Sighing, he replied, "Yes," as Yami closed his eyes and began to mentally narrow down on Yugi's presence.  Up until now he had been able to locate the general area of his aibou's whereabouts without having to open up their mind-link.  Now he hoped to narrow their search down further, as well as check to see if Yugi was alright, perhaps talk with him.

Yami found him, though the location was still a little vague.  The pharaoh sighed again, this time with relief.  At least now, his charge didn't seem to be in any pain; rather, he was sleeping – a bit fitfully, but that was better than physical torture, right?  Cautiously, hoping not to arouse Naito's suspicions, he opened their mind-link completely.

//Yugi?  Yugi, can you hear me?//

Suddenly Yami stepped back, his head flooding with random words, thoughts, and emotions.

/PainconfusionwherehelpwhysorryhatedrowninghelphelpHELP/

//YUGI!//

/Nononopleasedon'tdiecomebackwherealonewhatsgoingon-/

[This isn't right,] Yami thought, concerned.  [His thoughts are completely jumbled together.  What did Naito do to him?]  Concentrating, he tried to break through Yugi's chaotic waterfall of words in an attempt to reach the boy's soul room.  At first the emotions intensified ten-fold in response, nearly overwhelming him.  However, they soon began to fade – perhaps sensing something familiar or comforting about Yami's mental presence.

In his mind's eye, Yami stepped out of the shadows and into the cold, smooth hallway.  Yugi's door stood in front of him.  He took a step forward, when suddenly the door changed in form and color.  Then it changed again.  And again, as if it couldn't decide what kind of door it wanted to be.  Cautiously Yami approached it, reaching for the doorknob.  He grasped it firmly, noting how cold it felt.  Usually the door to Yugi's soul room radiated with a warm glow, but now that warmth seemed lost.  A little panicked, Yami turned the knob and pushed the door open.

Yami stepped back in amazement. He had been into his hikari's room before, and loved how everything was so simple, pure, and child-like.  Could this be the same room he had visited so often?  Salvatore Dahl would have been proud – it looked like something out of an abstract painting.  Instead on the floor where it should have been, Yugi's bed was now on the ceiling.  A lamp hung in midair, and the book case sat on the wall, sideways.  It was the same room, except everything in it looked like it had been caught in a tornado.  [How did Yugi's mind get so turned around like this?] he wondered.  [Could it be because of that EST thing Naito did?  If so, I'll…] he began, his anger starting to flare again.  Before he could decide what punishment he would extract on his brother, however, the wall across from him suddenly disappeared without warning.

Yami blinked, staring at what lay behind the wall.  First there was simply darkness, but he was soon able to distinguish the silhouette of a boy.  Yami stood as he watched a 10-year old Yugi emerge from the shadows.  He looked a mess; his hair tousled and drooping, his body bruised all over.  The boy stopped walking forward suddenly, never noticing Yami as he fell to his knees and began crying.  The former pharaoh's heart wrenched as he began moving towards the boy to comfort him, when suddenly a man also emerged from the shadows behind Yugi.  Yami squinted, but couldn't make out anything save the man's form – though the figure had come forward he remained hidden.

Hearing the new presence behind him, the little Yugi whirled around as he turned his tear-streaked face towards the person, furious.  "WHY?" he screamed, "WHY?  YOU KNEW SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM!!  HOW COULD YOU??"

[This…this is a memory?  Of Yugi's past?]  Yami thought, stunned.  The shadow murmured something beyond his hearing, but apparently Yugi heard it loud and clear as he continued his yelling.

"BUT SHE LOVED YOU!!  SHE LOVED BOTH OF US!!  HOW COULD YOU JUST KILL HER LIKE THAT??  YOU'RE A MONSTER!!"

Again the shadow murmured, and this time Yugi's eyes widened in fear.  Despite the fact that it was a memory, Yami could feel the boy's rising panic at whatever the figure had stated.

"No…no…please…don't….Otous-sama…"

The man said nothing, but slowly raised an object to his head.  Little Yugi looked on in horror as the shadow pulled a trigger, collapsing as a loud shot rang though the room.  The color red stained the surrounding pitch as blood splattered everywhere.

Covered in red and shaking madly, little Yugi looked like he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown as his mind processed what had just happened.  Suddenly, he let out a heart-piercing cry, running back into the darkness towards his father as he did so. 

"…Tou-san…no…No…NO!!  OGAS-SAMA!!  OTOUS-SAMA!!!  NO!!!!"

Yami stood in stunned silence as the wall reappeared.  He could feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he continued to stare at the place where the horrible image had taken place.  [Oh Ra…I had no idea…Yugi…I'm so sorry….]  He had never asked why Yugi lived with his grandpa, and now he wished he hadn't found out.  [And yet he's still so innocent, so pure.  Yugi….]  Suddenly he heard a loud creaking sound from behind him, turning around, Yami watched as the bed unhooked itself from the ceiling.  Flipping itself around, it gently fell to the floor, in its proper place.

[Yugi's mind must be clearing up…but where's Yugi?  Is he trapped within his own memories, like I was before being reborn?]  Before he continued with that thought, a shimmering light began to appear in front of him.  Yami held up a hand to shield himself from the piercing rays, when suddenly he heard a sweet yet sad, timid voice.  He opened his eyes to see a spiky-haired teen kneeling on the floor.

"Y-yami?"

"Yugi," he breathed as he rushed forward to embrace the teen.  Gathering his young charge in his arms, the other clung to him like a lost animal, never wanting to be separated from his yami again.  Silence passed, each latched onto the other.  Finally, Yugi shifted a little before murmuring something into Yami's shoulder.

"…You saw that, didn't you?"

Yami sighed, tightening his hold on the teen.  "Yes Yugi.  I'm sorry."

Silence.  No cries were heard, no tears were shed.  The two simply held each other for a while, as Yami rubbed his charge's back comfortingly.

Moments later Yami hesitatingly separated himself from Yugi, though still keeping a firm grip on the teen.  "Yugi, are you alright?" he asked as he stared into the solemn violet orbs that graced Yugi's face.  "Where are you, where's Naito?  What has he done to you?  Are you ok?"

Feeling a little overwhelmed by the sudden bombardment of questions, Yugi stared for a moment as he processed what Yami had said.  Blinking, his eyes became refocused before sighing as he began to answer his protector's questions.

"To start with, I honestly don't know where I am, Yami.  He's locked me up in a basement of some kind, but that's all I know.  As for Naito, I remember seeing him leave just before I received another shock treatment, but I'm afraid I've been out for so long that he's probably returned by now."

"Wait a minute," Yami started, his eyes wide.  "_Another_ shock treatment?"

Yugi nodded wearily.  "He has the machine on a timer now.  But…I'm afraid I can't remember much else – I don't even remember how many times I've had EST so far.  I wasn't even sure if _you_ were real, Yami, when you got here – I thought I was just imagining things."  Suddenly Yugi's expression turned from a weak smile to one of shock as he realized something.

"Yami," he said urgently, "You have to get out – you must not try to find me!"

"What?"  Yami asked, bewildered.  "Yugi, what's gotten into you?"

"It's Naito," he explained,  "…he said something about the past, your past life in Egypt.  He wants revenge for something, Yami – please, don't let him get you; run away!"

"Yugi-"

"I don't want to see you get hurt Yami!  Please, just leave me here!"

"Aibou-"

**"I'm not worth it, really, get out of here!"**

**"YUGI, STOP IT!"**

Yugi looked at his yami blankly as Yami took him by the shoulders firmly, staring him in the eye.

"Yugi, I am not leaving you here, got that?  You are my charge, my aibou, and my friend, and there's no person or God that is going to stop me from rescuing you.  I love you too damn much to do anything else, hikari."

[Oops.  I said that word, didn't I?]  he thought, dimly realizing with a shock at what he had just uttered.  Not wanting to dwell on what Yugi thought of him now – [He probably thought I was talking about love between friends, anyhow] - Yami pressed on, looking elsewhere as he missed Yugi's slight, shiny-eyed expression fading away.

"Anyway, if it really has been as long as you say it has, we'll have to take a chance.  If Naito was here, he most certainly would have sensed my presence by now, and vice-versa."  His eyes slanted further in concern as he refocused on his charge.  "But Yugi, seriously, how are you?  Are y-"

Both boys turned suddenly at the sound of wood creaking.  To their left, the bookcase had finally decided to right itself, as it set itself gently back onto the wall in the correct position.  Smiling slightly, Yugi turned back to his protector.

"Now that you're here?  I'll be fine."

Yami could feel his heart flutter at the comment – for the first time since that morning, he felt optimistic about the future.  Little did he know that, at the same time, Yugi's insides were jittery from his protector's previous statement as well.  Hugging him lightly, Yami pulled Yugi to his feet.  

"Hang on a little longer, aibou - we're coming, I promise."

Yugi smiled as he watched Yami turn to leave.

"Hai!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As much as Yami wished he could stay in Yugi's soul room and make sure that he would be safe, he found himself retreating to the outside world.  Just before breaking the contact, Yami checked Yugi's mind once more.  With relief he noted that the confusion that had dwelled within his charge's conscious previously had now lessened considerably.  Stretching out his mind to properly pinpoint his aibou's location, he finally was able to hone in on a small hospital which was no longer in service.  Feeling a brush of reassurance against his mind, Yugi confirmed it – he was no more than six blocks away.

Finally Yami opened his eyes to the real world as he turned around to face Merodi, who was leaning against the side of a car anxiously waiting for him.

"So," she spoke hurriedly, "You got through?"

"Yes.  Yugi is well for the time being; I know where he is."

"Then what are we waiting for?  Let's go!"

Yami nodded in agreement as he took off down the street, Merodi close behind.  However, as they dodged and weaved between people on the sidewalk, they had run no more than two blocks when suddenly Yami heard a sudden cry.

/YAMI!!/

//YUGI!// Yami tried to connect with him, but his aibou's presence disappeared as quickly as it had come, almost as if someone had interrupted the transmission.  The past-pharaoh's eyes widened as he picked up his speed in response to his aibou's painful call.  He was no longer concerned for the welfare of other pedestrians, as he knocked over any person who dared to get in his way while he raced towards the old hospital in a panic.

Finally reaching the abandoned building, Yami quickly circled around it, looking for an entrance.  [The basement,] he kept repeating to himself as he and Merodi violently rammed a pair of doors and headed for the nearest stairwell, [He's in the basement.]

[Yugi, hold on.  Please.]

The two raced down the stairs as echoes of Yugi's screams came up to greet them.  There were the beginnings of a coppery smell in the air as Yami propelled himself downward, praying to every god he knew that Yugi would not be dead before they arrived.  Finally reaching the bottom, he sprinted toward an open door, only to stop and stare at his surroundings.  Merodi arrived seconds later; the girl nearly recoiled in shock at what lay before them.

The floor seemed nearly painted with blood as Yugi laid on the floor, unconscious.  A figure loomed over him, smiling as he watched the substance seep out of the numerous wounds on the teen's back; several ribs poked out from Yugi's chest, and his left arm hung at an unnatural angle.  

The figure raised his eyes; cobalt blue meeting fiery red.

"Why hello, Yami.  Long time, no see."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MnY:  Whew!  Finally made it through Chapter 10!  Everyone, I applaud your efforts!!

{{*single clap*  Yay.  -_-}}

Grrr…oh!  *gets idea, starts talking slyly*  By the way, wonderful readers, I noticed many of you like to inflict pain on Naito when he does something bad…which I agree with whole-heartedly, of course….

{{Huh?  Wait, what are you doing?}}

I've got some information here which you all might find useful…especially DAI…

{{WHAT??  No, aibou, you're not-}}

YES!!  I HAVE THE POWER!!

{{No, aibou, please!!!  O_O}}

Attention all!  Naito has an _e-mail address_!!

{{ACK!  NO!  URUSAI NA!!}}

^_^  Yep, he does!  It's **dark_prince_of_egypt @ juno.com (well, minus the spaces on either side of the @).  Now you can bother him as much as you want, isn't that awesome??  ^_^_^_^**

{{-_-'''  Nante ne…NANI SU NAYA?!?!?!  *punches MnY*}}

HEY!!  It's what you deserve!!  *brawls starts…again….*

[------------------------------------]

[      Note from Management:           ]

[                                                      ]

[     Please review.  Thank you.        ]

[------------------------------------]


	11. Interruptions

Merodi no Yami:  -_-  Every time I write a chapter, I get myself more depressed.

{{Naito:  -_-  Me too.}}

You?  Why do YOU care?  I'm just upset because I'm not writing as much description in my story as I should be.

{{Because I'm the one that always ends up reading it.}}

*rolls eyes*  Yeah, whatever.  So, ok everyone!  Here's your Memorial Day present!  I actually had most of this done last week, but there was a flashback which I wasn't sure how to write – keep in mind that half of this story will probably be edited once I write the prequel to this next year…yeah, IF I ever finish this one.  *sigh*

*Goes off to read reviews*  ….OW!!!

{{*looks over shoulder*  Hmm?}}

*sniff*  W-Wolfy-chan hit me!  T_T  Sh-she got mad at me for not liking my own writing!

{{*blink*  o_o…GOOD ONE, WOLFSPEAKER!!  ^_^  *SMACK*  Hey!}}

That's it.  I've had it.

{{Wha?  What's with you?}}

You know where you're going now?

{{*shakes head*  Do I want to know?}}

*snaps fingers – Naito is in leather pants only…again*

{{O_O  Oh Ra no….}}

Yep.  You're going to Ko-chan's to get out of my hair.

{{NO!!!  HIKARI!!!  RA, I BEG YOU, ANYTHING BUT THAT!!!}}

Are you going to behave?  Will you be nice?

{{T_T  *nods reluctantly*}}

*smiles brightly*  OK!  Well, thanks goes out to the following people:

tati

Chaos Dragon

Ko-Chan

Yugi

She-Elf

Moerae

Wolfspeaker

Towairaito Zoon  

…for reviewing!!  And, as I stated last time, the rest of this story is dedicated to Ko-chan and co.  Not a whole lot of wise-cracks here, since the spring marching band (which I'm in) went to the Indy 500 this past weekend and marched in two, two-mile long parades.  _  And had to high-step it for half of the time…stupid, stupid band directors….  At least we had some fun.  So, I'm tired.  'Nough said.

Disclaimer-  _Question__ 43: A duck is to Naito as Yu-Gi-Oh! is to M-n-Y.  What is the relationship described here?  _Answer:_ NOTHING.  I do not own the series or it's characters…but I do own the 3rd and 4th DVD set of YGO in its original Japanese, with subtitles!!  ^_^  I just got the 4th box a few days ago…I love the Nightmare Penguin, 'cause he teases Anzu!  Haha!  There's something Naito and I both enjoy, Anzu/Tea bashing, and now they actually have it in the anime!!  Yes!!!  ^_^_^  Ok, now that none of you know what I'm talking about, I'll be going now…._

Warnings:  Um, yeah – nothing to warn you about besides poor descriptions.  If you've gotten this far and haven't realized that this is a Y/Y fic, well….

Ok, everyone!  Prepare yourself!  Here comes the next chapter!  For better…

{{…or worse.}}

*glare*

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

{blah blah blah} – Merodi talking

{{blah blah blah}} – Naito talking

_blah__ blah blah - flashback_

Note:  I know my format sometimes seems to be changing…please just bear with me; sometime it will all get sorted out!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Where we left off last time (…ok, it's not because I'm not forgetful – I'm just plain stupid…):

…

The two raced down the stairs as echoes of Yugi's screams came up to greet them.  There were the beginnings of a coppery smell in the air as Yami propelled himself downward, praying to every god he knew that Yugi would not be dead before they arrived.  Finally reaching the bottom, he sprinted toward an open door, only to stop and stare at his surroundings.  Merodi arrived seconds later; the girl nearly recoiled in shock at what lay before them.

The floor seemed nearly painted with blood as Yugi laid on the floor, unconscious.  A figure loomed over him, smiling as he watched the substance seep out of the numerous wounds on the teen's back; several ribs poked out from Yugi's chest, and his left arm hung at an unnatural angle.  

The figure raised his eyes; cobalt blue meeting fiery red.

"Why hello, Yami.  Long time, no see."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

**Chapter 11 - Interruptions**

"Oh, not so happy to see me?  I'm hurt; I think I'm going to cry," Naito continued mockingly.

Yami clenched his teeth in anger, furious.  There would be hell to pay; Yami honestly did not want to fight his brother – he was family, after all – but Yugi came first, above all else.  If looks could kill, the blue-haired brother would have died on the spot for even daring to hurt his hikari.  But either Naito was used to this expression or wasn't paying attention as he continued aloud.

"It looks a little familiar, doesn't it, Onii-chan?  Surprised?  That was no dream of yours, Yami, but a foreshadowing of what was to come.  Too bad you weren't smart enough to realize it."

Yami's eyes widened slightly, but he kept silent.  With his back to her, Merodi watched as Yami placed a hand behind his back, shielding it from Naito's view.  The hidden palm began to glow as he growled softly in reply.

"Naito…."

"Though I'll admit," he started again with a hint of disappointment, "You got here sooner than I expected-"

Naito stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing that Yami wasn't alone as Merodi stepped forward, a look of sadness in her eyes.  Stepping back slightly in shock, Naito brought a hand to his head quickly as unwanted memories began to resurface.

************************************************************************

_"My Lord!"_

_"What is it?" Prince Naito snapped, already annoyed by the events of the day.  The robbers, whom he had arrived to escort back to the city in custody, decided that they weren't going to leave without a fight, and had unceremoniously rebelled against the Pharaoh's troops.  Naito hadn't wanted any bloodshed, but it seemed inevitable.  He warily eyed a dead robber that laid in the sand next to him as he sighed – now, not only would he be bringing back prisoners, but also bodies which required preparation for burial.  He waited for the leader of his forces to reply, staring into the man's brown eyes coolly._

_"My Lord, all those who dared to defy Upper Egypt have been captured."_

_"You sure?  You've checked everywhere?"_

_"Yes, my Lord."_

_"Good.  Take their weapons and throw them in there."  Naito gestured to a small house-like structure, built from mud, brick, and wood, which the robbers had probably stolen on a previous excursion.  "Burn it."_

_"Yes, my Lord."_

_The men worked swiftly; soon, the building was engulfed in flames.  His work finished, the prince turned to mount his ride when suddenly a horrible scream came from behind him.  Whirling around, he faced the burning structurE, this time struck with horror as he heard the scream again._

_It was a woman.  _

_And she was burning to death, inside the house his men had just set fire to._

_"You fools!" he yelled as he rushed forwards towards the flames.  "You didn't check to see if anyone was still inside??"_

_He didn't wait for an explanation as he ran around the building, looking for a safe entrance.  Stopping at a glass-less window, he peered inside, stopping himself from backing away from the intense heat the flames gave off.  The screaming had stopped, and he could see the girl lying on the dirt floor, barely conscious.  Disregarding the danger to his own life he leapt through the window, avoiding the remains of the broken weapons as he scooped up the girl and knocked down what was left of the door.  Running through the flames, he emerged from the structure and ran a safe distance away from the inferno, before depositing the girl on the sand.  _

_She certainly didn't appear to be one of the robbers, or related to any of them.  Rather, she seemed…foreign.  Her face seemed cut differently from most Egyptians, and her hair was a peculiar brown color which shimmered in the sun.  Even stranger was the feeling that he knew her from somewhere, that he was connected to her somehow.  He started as the girl groaned, leaning forward a little bit as she opened her eyes to see her rescuer.  Blue met silver as Naito held her head gently, subconsciously wondering why he was concerned for a foreigner such as herself.  "Rest now, child.  You're safe – are you ok?"_

_Ignoring his question, she smiled slightly, barely uttering the words "Thank you" before closing her eyes again.  Naito was just about to call over one of his priests to care for her when suddenly she let out a long sigh, and breathed no more.  Shocked beyond surprise, the prince quickly tried a resurrection spell, hoping to catch her spirit in time.  Nothing._

_Naito rose from her side moments later, angry and upset as he ordered his men to bring her body with them, returning to the city.  Something had died in him that day, and that mysterious girl would forever haunt his memory...._

************************************************************************

Suddenly, Naito brought a hand down to point as his voice shook slightly.

"What is SHE doing here?"

Both were a little surprised at his last question, but Yami never bothered to answer as he whipped his hand out from behind his back, taking advantage of the situation.  The red ball of energy hit his brother square in the chest as Naito flew backwards, taken completely by surprise.  His flight was brought to a halt as he made contact with a wall, creating a large crater in the concrete before sliding down to the floor, unconscious.  The other two stared for a moment before Yami turned quickly, rushing to Yugi's side.

[Come on, Yugi.  You can't be dead, not now, not yet.]  Kneeling down next to his aibou, Yami cast an eye over his injuries.  Blood continued to flow slowly out of the wounds on Yugi's back, while the place where his arm had been broken was quickly starting to turn blue and black.  Swallowing his panic, Yami quickly turned to Merodi as she kneeled beside him.  Wordlessly he grabbed her arm, dimly noting her shock as he began to draw light energy from her; somewhere in his mind, he sighed – he was glad that he was able to draw on her power in order to heal Yugi, but it only confirmed that which he had hoped was false – Merodi was now a hikari, and Naito her yami.  This could be a problem.

Pushing all other thoughts from his mind, Yami focused on his aibou's form, closing his eyes as he let his hand travel over Yugi's body.  As a white energy encased the prone figure, Yami opened his eyes slightly to watch as the wounds slowly began to heal themselves up, the color slowly returning to his aibou's pale face; excess blood quickly disappeared, while the guardian noted with relief that Yugi's pants had been clean from the start.  

[At least I got here before Naito could get that far.  But still, you shouldn't have had to endure this, aibou.]  He mentally scowled at himself as he watched Yugi's arm and ribs slowly shift back into their original position.  Not hearing a slight shift behind him, Yami let go of Merodi as he turned Yugi over once the bones were finally in place.  [He's healed, for the most part, but he's still weak – we need to get out of here before anything else happens.]  He felt a small smile creep across his lips as he looked down at Yugi's pale yet beautiful face, as he moved to pick him up and carry him out of the building to safety.

He was forced to stop when suddenly Yami yelled in pain as a sword of blue energy cut down onto his shoulder.  Feeling the blade remove itself, Yami turned to see Naito grinning at his brother's misfortune, a wild, uncaring look in his eyes which faintly reminded him of Bakura and Malik.

"Come, Yami.  Let's finish this – _now_."

Merodi suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder as she turned to look at the person kneeling next to her.  

"Merodi, take care of Yugi."

The girl at the past-Pharaoh in shock.  "What?  What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to fight him."

Merodi was about to protest, but seeing that fire in his eyes convinced her to stay quiet.  Nodding slowly, she watched as Yami got to his feet, stepping a safe distance away from Yugi before summoning his own blade.  The past-pharaoh could feel the crackle of energy within his own hands while it slowly sapped him of his own power, but he paid it little heed.  

[Brother, you have brought this upon yourself.  I can forgive what wrongs you may have committed in the past, but no more.  You've caused Yugi more pain than he should ever have to bear, and I cannot stand for that.  I can only hope now that you have prepared yourself for the consequences.]

Naito made the first strike, rushing towards him in a cut from the right.  Yami easily parried it, pushing the attack off and aiming for the shoulder.  The attempt was just as swiftly blocked as the previous one.  From there the battle continued, soon escalating to a heated pace as each side parried and attacked with precision.  Beads of sweat began to run down their faces as it raged on, while Merodi watched worriedly from the sidelines.

Tearing her gaze away from the battle at hand, the girl turned as she heard a soft groan escape from Yugi's mouth.  Gently grabbing his hand, she looked at him sadly, wishing that there was something she could do for him, or for Yami.  She felt guilty, not being able to help either of them, knowing that it was her damned curiosity that had started all of these problems in the first place.  If only-

/…ugh…Itai…what's going on?/

Merodi started for a second, then replied quickly, {Shh, Yugi.  Rest; you're hurt.}

[Ok, maybe I shouldn't have said anything,] she mused as Yugi's eyes snapped open in response to her mental voice.

/Merodi?  How can I hear you?/ was the first thing that came to the teen's mind as he turned to look at her.

{Well, I'm taking a guess here, but I seem to be able to tap into mental conversations when there's physical contact.}  She squeezed his hand gently, emphasizing her point.  {That's how I was able to hear in last time – Yami had grabbed my arm suddenly.}

/Yami…./  Yugi's eyes widened as he looked at her, slightly panicked.  /Yami, where is he?  Is he hurt?  What happened?/

Merodi shook her head.  {He's not hurt or dead yet, Yugi.  When he and I got here, you were already unconscious.  Yami managed to knock Naito out for a little bit while he started to heal you, but soon Naito attacked him and challenged him to a fight.}

/No!  Yami!/  Yugi struggled to get up, but the girl quickly restrained him.

{No, Yugi, don't!  You're not in any condition to get up; you're still very much injured.  Don't worry; Yami will have Naito running for the hills in no time.}  She smiled, but felt no such reassurance in her heart – from the looks of it, this duel was a fight to the death.  If Naito won, she would never be able to bear losing Yami and Yugi.  But if Yami won…the thought of seeing Naito die evoked a strange sadness in her that she couldn't rid herself of.

While she was pondering this, something clicked in Yugi's mind as he gasped mentally.  Merodi refocused her attention on him, concerned, as he heard one of Naito's earlier comments play over again in his mind.

_Yami's name means darkness, doesn't it?  Did you know that mine, Naito, means night?  Sort of like the shadow of darkness, if you will…._

/No…he's wrong. /

{What?  Who's wrong, Yugi?}

Yugi turned to look at her again.  /Naito.  He's wrong.  He's upset about things that happened between himself and Yami back in Ancient Egypt.  But…but he's confused.  I don't think he really wants to hurt anyone, including Yami, in reality – Merodi, he thinks his name means Night.  He's upset because he sees himself as the 'shadow of darkness,' Yami's shadow./

{But…that's not what his name means.}

/I know!  Merodi, you have to tell him!/

Merodi blinked, looking up at the battle that raged on behind her.  By manipulating the Shadow Realm, they had begun switching dimensions rapidly in order to throw the other off; one moment they would be right next to her, then in a flash of light they disappeared, only to reappear just as quickly on the other side of the basement.  Suddenly the two were in the middle of the room, swords crossed in stalemate as the "energy swords" sizzled from the contact.  The brothers jumped away from each other quickly and stood, glaring at one another.

[Well, it's now or never,] she told herself, taking advantage of the slight pause in action.

{Naito!}

The yami's eyes widened as he turned to look at her, growling softly.  {{Brat, what do you want?}}

Merodi ignored his impatient and fierce tone, continuing.  {Naito, listen to me!  You're name doesn't mean 'night'!}

{{What are you babbling about, you bitch?}}

{Naito, LISTEN!  You've got it all wrong!  You aren't Yami's shadow!  'Naito' means 'Knight'!  As in, 'knight in shining armor'!  Understand?}

For the first time, Naito let his guard down as he stood, shocked beyond belief.  It was as if everything he had been fighting for, all his ideals, his revenge – they no longer made perfect sense.  Dumbfounded he stared at the floor, as waves of confusion crashed against his mind.

[W-what?  My name means…Knight?  But father…and the others…he said….  She must be lying.  That has to be it.  But what reason does she have to lie?  Why does she even care?  Why do _I_ care?  Does this really change anything, knowing my name means something else?  Why should it matter?]

Naito looked up at his brother, who was eying him as he waited for the next attack.  

[Yes.  Yes, it does.  Who am I?  For Ra's sake, who am I?!]

Upset and frustrated with this new information, Naito let out a frightening yell as he rushed towards Yami.  The past-pharaoh, unaware of his brother's realization, thought only to take him down as he ran forward to meet Naito's blade with his own.  The two blades met once again, this time letting off an eerie glow on contact with each other.  Yugi and Merodi sat stunned as the brothers' weapons suddenly disappeared in a flash of light.  

[Huh?  What is this?] Yami thought as he looked around, trying to figure out what happened.  [Why did they suddenly disappear?  I know we were both running low on energy, especially from all that dimension-jumping, but-]  Yami froze, staring at his brother.  Naito seemed to have realized the same thing as he stared back, shocked.  As if from a distance, he could here the High Priest warning him from the past:

_"To use these mystical swords requires great power, Lord Yami.  You must use this spell most carefully."_

_"Why is that?"_

_"Because it is said that if two of these swords cross, they may open up a pathway to the Shadow Realm.  Not serious enough to bring about our destruction, but any opening to that dark place can bring about great and unwanted changes."_

[Oh no.]

Sensing the sudden surge of power in the room, Yami whirled around to where Yugi lay.  He stared as spied a dark circle beginning to grow on the floor behind the two figures.  He ran forward as the abyss expanded rapidly, yelling to the other two. 

"Yugi, Merodi, get away from there!  NOW!"

Not understanding what Yami was panicking about, Yugi stammered a "Huh?" before he felt the floor beneath him suddenly disappear.  Both he and Merodi yelled in surprise as they fell downwards, quickly swallowed up by the darkness.  Yami ran to the edge of the hole (which had stopped growing) and stopped as he stared into its murky depths.

[No.  Not again.]  Yugi did not have enough power to withstand the threats of the shadow realm, even when he was unharmed – in his condition now….

"Naito!" he barked.  He turned to look at his brother, who also stared at the hole with a blank expression on his face.  "Naito, we need to go rescue them!  Come on, we haven't much time!"

His brother blinked.  "Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Back up.  'We'?  Exactly who is this 'we', Yami?  You can go get your precious little prince if you want, Onii-chan, and I'll seal the opening myself while the three of you are gallivanting around in there.  We still have a battle to finish, if you've forgotten.  But if you're really that enthusiastic about death, by all means, go after him."

"And what about Merodi?"

"Hah, that brat?  Who needs her?  She can't do anything useful."

"Except keep you alive."

"What?"

Yami rose to his feet, facing his brother.  "You're a yami now, Naito.  You can't live without your hikari."

"What are you on, Pharaoh?  I'm human, just like you."

Yami shook his head, annoyed with his brother's blatant disregard while Yugi and Merodi were both down there in need of his help.  The guardian would have already gone down there, but after his battle with Naito his magical energies had been drained; it would be a task to simply get Yugi back; there was no way he'd be able to bring both teens out of the Shadow Realm on his own.  And though he hated to admit it, the only one that could help him now was the one he had been fighting only moments before.

"Being human doesn't mean anything, Naito," he replied with a sigh.  "You're a yami – you're magically bonded to the one that is deemed your hikari, whether you like it or not.  If Merodi dies in the Shadow Realm, you're bound to follow.  …Of course," he said, eyeing him, "a hikari doesn't need their yami to survive, since both Merodi and Yugi were born to this time and place.  Maybe I should just kill you now and get the both of them."

"Hmpf.  Don't try and kid yourself, Onii-chan.  If you really believed that you could go after both of them and bring them back, you wouldn't be standing there, trying to persuade me to go with you."  He smirked as Yami glared at him, confirming his suspicions.

"Are you coming or not?" the other asked through his teeth, furious that he had to cater to Naito while Yugi and Merodi were desperately in need of help.  His anger flared further as his brother "hmm"ed, looking up at the ceiling as he tapped his chin with a finger.

"I don't believe what you're telling me, but if retrieving her means getting to see all of you die in the Shadow Realm, then so be it," he finally replied as an evil grin crossed his lips.  Yami could care less about what Naito wanted though – already he could feel his link with Yugi weakening with each passing second.

"Fine.  Until we're out of there, we work together.  Truce?" he asked, extending a hand to his brother.

Naito stared at the offer for a moment.  Truth be told, he didn't know what to think anymore.  True, he still wanted to exact revenge on his brother, but his reasons no longer seemed founded.  Ever since Merodi had made that stupid comment, he was no longer sure of himself.  Maybe if he got her back and tortured her for a while, he could get some answers.  Shrugging, Naito stepped forward and grabbed Yami's hand.  There would be time to kill him later.

"Truce."

Yami nodded, breaking off the shake quickly as he turned back towards the dark hole in the floor.  Naito stepped forward, looking over the edge as he muttered something about heights before soundlessly jumping into the abyss.  

Yami stared after him for a few seconds, then stepped forwards to follow him.  

[Hold on, aibou, I'm coming.]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok!  So they're finally all in the Shadow Realm!!  I promise, I have more ideas of how I want this to go, so the next chapters should be much better!

{{Pfft.  Right.  And Egypt isn't ruled by the pharaoh.}}

Um…Naito?  They're not anymore.

{{WHAT???}}

I think we need to get you a history book…there are no more pharaohs in Egypt…there's a nice big government set up over there now.  I thought you said that you were "all-knowing"?  *smirk*

{{-_-…*mockingly*  Look, I'm a Toaster Strudel!  BITE ME.}}

_  No thank you.  *opens portal*  Ok, in you go.

{{What?  *is picked up by MnY*  AIBOU, PUT ME DOWN!!!  I ORDER YOU!!}}

Oh?  Ok then.  *tosses Naito through*

{{*on other side*  Ugh.  *has landed on floor, looks up*  Rrrr – HIKARI, I-!}}

*far off voice, squeals*  NAITO-CHAN!!!

{{O_O…I know that voice…it can't be…AIBOU!!  YOU DIDN'T SEND ME TO KO-CHAN AGAIN!?!?!?!}}

*smiles*  ^_^  Have fun, Naito!  I have final exams coming up to work on – I'll be back later.  *starts closing portal*

{{AIBOU!!  O_O_O_O}}

Don't worry, you can still use e-mail!!  ^_^_^  *portal closes*

*Sigh*  There, that's better.  Ok, please, all of you – review?  ^_^

p.s. – Naito's e-mail address:  dark_prince_of_egypt @ juno.com .  In case you were wondering.  ^­_-


	12. Unexpected Events

**Important Note:** The following chapter contains SPOILERS – however, you'll probably forget them soon enough, since you really won't see some of this info in the cartoon for another 2-3 years.  *sheepish grin*  For example, the Dark Magician's real name is used in here.  Some things concerning Maha Vailo (another Duel Monster) I will try to explain in the next chapter, so please just bear with me through this one!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Merodi no Yami: Well hello, everyone!  Long time no see!  Haha, I bet you're wondering-

*CRASH*

O_O…uh, what that was?  Naito, what did you do now?

{{Naito: Thank RA!  It's up!  Quick, get in there!  *pushes Dai through now-unsealed portal to Ko-chan's realm*}}

Dai: But Naito-chan-!

{{Nononono – you need to go home now.  Really.  I'm fine, all better, wonderful, couldn't be happier.  GO!!  *shoves Dai the rest of the way through, closes portal behind him*}}

{{*SIGH*}}

…o_o…oooooooooooooooooookkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk……

{{AIBOU, YOU TEME – WHY DIDN'T YOU GET THAT THING FIXED SOONER??}}

…um…uh…"An ocean refuses no river."

{{O_o?}}

…meaning, it wouldn't open until I got this chapter uploaded.

{{TOOK YOU $%*&% LONG ENOUGH!!}}

…Ok, somebody's mad today… *sigh*  Well, to be honest, we've both been having our share of problems lately.  I ended up spending an entire month cleaning my room - it hasn't been sorted through for about 5 years, nor dusted in about 2.… _ 

{{*rolls eyes*  You see?  Do you mortals now understand what I have to put up with?}}

Shut up.  It didn't help that you were sick half the time, what with your moaning and pinning all the time.

{{I'm an Egyptian prince – I need special care!  *fumes*}}

Riiight…next time, remind me to go out and get some oversized diapers for you next time you get sick.

{{AIBOU!!!!}}

???

{{…what's a diaper?}}

ACK!!  *classic anime fall*  Oh well – at least Dai was here to look after you, ne?

{{*shudder*  Don't remind me.}}

OH YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT!!  KO-CHAN, Naito actually gave Dai a KISS!  Can you believe it??

{{Hello?  I was sick?  Which brought about bouts of insomnia and delusions of grandeur?}}

*blinks*  Wow.  Naito used big words.

{{*rolls eyes*  I'm gonna go get a root beer and watch Discovery Channel.  *stalks off*}}

Sorry people, don't mind him.  He's actually being good today.

{{I heard that!}}

*shrug*  Anyway, enough mindless dribble-

{{OOOOH, you're going to stop writing your story now??}}

Shut UP, Naito!  *ahem*  Like I was saying, a special thanks is in order for those people who have reviewed:

Ko-chan

Wolfspeaker (thanks for the beta editing on this chapter, Wolfy-chan!)

rox

Hikari no Yami

Mittens2200

You people care!  You really do!!  *sniff*  Oh, I'm feeling vaklempt….

{{Oh, FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!}}

O_o?  Anyway, this story is, as always, dedicated to Ko-chan in all her majesty.  I'm pretty sure now that I have about 3 chapters to go on this, and then an epilogue if people are interested.  *Whew*  And then, on to another one!  *sigh*

And while you're all still here, reading this stuff…**CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT!!  **

OK, here's the deal: Now that I'm nearing the end of Destinies of the Past, I've realized that the title isn't very good, and isn't really related to the story like it should be.  SO, what I'm looking for from all you folks is an awesome new title for the story – that's it!  The winner will get to choose one of the following:

        a.) Fanart for story of choice

        b.) Supporting part in a one-shot fic (Y/Y, of course!!!  ^_^_^)

        c.) A "free commission" of a one-shot.

I've already gotten a few submissions, so be sure to let me know what your ideas are!  Once I've gotten them all, I'll post the results and winner with the second part of this story, 'k?  Enjoy the show!

Warning:  Contains Shonen-ai.  Specifically, Yami/Yugi goodness!  ^_^_^_^_^  This chapter also hints to some DM/MV as well…you'll see.  If none of you know what yaoi or shonen-ai means, you should probably start pullin' a U-turn right about now, 'K?

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! – just a couple of cards and merchandise, that's all.  Naito is mine and is not to be taken without my permission – unless you'd like to sign up for our bishie rental program?

{{WHAT????????  O_O  NOT THIS AGAIN!!!}}

^_^

[ blah blah blah ] – thinking 

/blah blah blah/ - Yugi talking

//blah blah blah// - Yami talking

_blah blah blah - flashback_

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Where we left off last time (…my old music teacher took my car keys and stranded me in the parking lot yesterday!  *sobs*....):

…

Shrugging, Naito stepped forward and grabbed Yami's hand.  There would be time to kill him later.

"Truce."

Yami nodded, breaking off the shake quickly as he turned back towards the dark hole in the floor.  Naito stepped forward, looking over the edge as he muttered something about heights before soundlessly jumping into the abyss.  

Yami stared after him for a few seconds, then stepped forwards to follow him.  

[Hold on, aibou, I'm coming.]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

**Chapter 12 - Unexpected Events**

Darkness.  A near tangible thing, in this place.  The inky black pitch stretched across the landscape, surrounding and enveloping all who fell into its fatal clutches.  Hues of blue and violet swirled together, like clouds before a sudden storm as a breezeless wind pushed them along through the dark emptiness.  Funny, how it was known as the 'Shadow Realm' when there was hardly any light to create shadows with. The only luminosity came from the slight, constant cracks of lightning in this forsaken place.  Warriors and creatures of the dark flourished here, treading cautiously through the mists. Their shifty eyes darted every which way, playing the role of both hunter and hunted as they journeyed on.

A green claw reached out to scratch at the air lazily.  Its owner growled, feeling discontented and restless as it surveyed its surroundings.  The creature, though simple in mind and form, let its golden eyes wander, wondering when next he might be called upon.

Suddenly the figure turned to look as a large hole opened to his left.  He stared at it curiously, wondering if anything was going to come out of it.  What was it there for?  Cautiously he approached it, peering through the dark void above him--perhaps waiting for some treat to descend, like a dog at his master's table.  Perking to attention, he backed away quickly.  Startled by the foreign sounds of screaming humans, he watched as two figures fell through the portal unexpectedly, landing on the misty floor below.  Quickly the hole sealed itself up again, never to reappear.

The small monster watched as one of the figures sat up slowly, raising a hand to run it through his spiky hair as he looked around, disoriented.  Sighing with realization, the fuzz ball could barely make out the words "Shadow Realm" before the teen turned to look at him.  Both pairs of eyes widened slightly as golden yellow met violet.

"Wha?  K-Kuriboh?"

The Kuriboh blinked before suddenly squealing with joy as it sped forward to tackle his master playfully.  For the first time in quite a while, Yugi chuckled happily as the affectionate monster tickled his face with his soft fur.  Merodi, who had sat up just after Yugi, stared at the friendly reunion of duel monster and master warily, not understanding where they were or how they had gotten there.

Finally finding her voice, she spoke up to voice her most immediate question.

"Uh, Yugi…what is that?"

Hearing the new sound, the fuzz ball stopped his nuzzling as he turned to look at Merodi with wide inquisitive eyes.  Cooing curiously, he floated over to stare her in the face, causing the girl to lean back cautiously.

"Oh, sorry.  Merodi, meet Kuriboh.  Kuriboh, this is Merodi," he began, gesturing towards the girl as the brown ball of fur floated around her head, 'inspecting' her.  "She's a friend, so be nice to her!" Yugi chided.  Having finished looking her over, Kuriboh let out a soft squeak as he hovered in front of Merodi, blinking.

"Um, pleased to meet you," she stated, offering her hand to the Duel Monster in an awkward fashion.  Chirping happily, Kuriboh skipped shaking hands as he floated forward to nuzzle her hand briefly.  Merodi smiled as the small creature grinned at her before jumping into the arms of his master, who chuckled lightly.  Feeling a bit more relieved, the girl posed her next question.

"Yugi, where the heck are we?"

Sighing, the teen closed his eyes briefly, letting go of Kuriboh before turning to look at her.

"The Shadow Realm."

Not expecting that answer, Merodi sat quiet for a few moments before repeating softly, "The…Shadow Realm?"

Yugi nodded, bringing a hand to rub his temples as he felt the oncoming sapping of energy.  It wasn't as intense as it had been times before, when he was calling duel monsters to the field for battle.  However, the young teen was still left weak and in pain--just at a more gradual pace.  He shivered slightly as a bead of sweat trailed down his slightly paling face, but said nothing.

Merodi was looking about, taking in her surroundings.  "Cheery place, isn't it?" she asked sarcastically as she turned to look at her friend.  Noting that Yugi seemed in less-than-perfect condition, she put a hand on his shoulder steadily.  Kuriboh hovered above him in a worried fashion.  "Yugi, are you ok?  You're looking a little under the weather…"

Yugi looked up, slightly surprised.  [Huh?  Wait a minute; doesn't she feel any of this?]  Pushing his headache aside, he studied her closely.  [She doesn't seem to be in any pain…]

"Merodi…are you feeling tired at all?"

"No," she replied cautiously, her brow furrowed.  "Should I be?"

[She must not possess any magical energies--that's the only way to explain it.  At least that would also explain why she can only use a mind link when there's physical contact,] Yugi reflected as he turned to look out into the inky, purple-hued pitch.

"No, Merodi--it's nothing.  Don't worry about it.  Come on," he said as he rose to his feet, duel monster in tow, "we'd better get going."  Helping Merodi up, together the three began their journey without any sense of direction.

The companions found themselves wandering together in silence as they proceeded through the smoky mists.  They had only been walking a few minutes when Kuriboh started to make a fuss, bouncing around in the air in front of them.

Merodi blinked, turning to look at Yugi.  "Ok, what's his problem now?"

Yugi shook his head, perplexed.  "I don't know," he stated simply as he watched his furry friend hovering worriedly.  "I'd say he doesn't want us to go any further.  Are we going the wrong way, or is there something out there that you're afraid of?" he asked.  The Kuriboh squeaked what the teen interpreted as a 'yes'.  "Ok then, which way should we be going?"

Before the trio could determine their next course of action, however, a low growl resounded from the depths in front of them.

"Uh oh."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yami landed in a crouched position, before straightening himself to survey his surroundings.  The land was barren here, like most of the Shadow Realm. Although the floating mists obscured his vision somewhat, there was no sign of Yugi or Merodi anywhere.

[Nor Naito, come to think of it--where is he?]

As he began to worry that Naito may have captured Yugi and gone against his word, a sudden yell prompted him to look up into the hole from which he had just exited.  Eyes widening, there was no time to act. His brother fell through head first, smirking and making no attempt to alter his course before landing on Yami's back--sending him crashing to the ground.

Perturbed, the pharaoh turned his head around to face Naito as he grabbed a lock of his brother's chocolate hair with a free hand, yanking hard.

"What in Ra's name was that for?  And how did you end up behind me?  You went in first!" he yelled into Naito's ear, letting his temper get the best of him momentarily.  Wincing, the brother sat up on the pharaoh's back, rubbing his head.

"Owwww, Onii-chan, that hurt!" he complained in an uncharacteristically whining voice, smirking as his brother's face screwed up in annoyance.  Getting up quickly, Naito put a hand above his eyes and looked around.  As Yami stood, wincing and rubbing his back where Naito had landed, his brother suddenly gasped and pointed.

"Oh Ra - Yami, come quick!" he suddenly shouted, his voice seemingly full of concern.

Eyes looking in the direction that Naito was pointing, Yami ran up next to him in a flash, worried.  "What?  What is it?"

"Nothing.  Those two aren't here.  See you later."

Turning to his right, Yami noticed that his brother had left his side.  The pharaoh whirled around to see Naito standing with his back to him, holding his arms out casually as he began to form a portal to the real world.  The black void soon began to hum as it waited for its creator to enter.  "Oh no you don't," Yami muttered as he pounced.  Before his brother could take a step through it, Yami tackled him to the ground.  Both grunting from the impact, the pair hit the floor as the hole sealed itself up, the connection broken.  Yami sat up and sighed as Naito remained pinned down, struggling to get free.  One thing he had failed to remember was that traveling to the Shadow Realm had always caused his brother to go temporarily 'loopy'.

"Ra-dammit!  Gerroff me!  Jeez, what do you have in those pants pockets – cannonballs?  Why can't you just DIE already?  Get OFF, I said!  I'm not a freaking horse!" 

Yami rolled his eyes again.  [Gods, I hope this wears off soon.]

A strong, cold breeze gusted passed them.  Yami suddenly looked up, sensing something--since when did clouds part like that?  It almost seemed as if a figure was pushing them apart, but there was no one around besides the two of them…right?  Knowing few creatures in the Shadow Realm possessed the power of invisibility, he took a chance as he stood up, calling out to the darkness.

"Maha Vailo!  Show yourself!"  

A few seconds passed, when suddenly a figure began to materialize before the two brothers, his dark blue robes flowing everywhere.  The gleaming crystals which hung from his hat swayed slightly as he shifted his shoulders, adjusting the two enormous hammers that seemed attached to his back.  Powerful golden dragon claws framed the sorcerer's face as he stared at the two figures before him, unfolding his arms to reveal the rubies and golden tendrils that covered the front of his tight-fitting robes.  Maha Vailo--a sorcerer with average attack and defense, but also possessing the special power of invisibility.  Smiling, he strode forward, stopping to bow once he stood in front of Yami.

"It is good to see you again, Yami Amun-Re," the sorcerer said, straightening to face him.  "It has been a while.  Is there something the matter?"

"Yes--please, do you know where the Dark Magician is?  I must speak with him, quickly," Yami answered urgently.

Letting out a chuckle, he replied in a strong tenor voice, "I most certainly hope that I would know where he is.  I will send for him."  He grinned in a knowing way as Yami nodded.

"Thank you."  With that, the pharaoh watched as the robed magician disappeared from sight.  Hearing a sigh from his left, he turned to look at Naito, who now stood with a hand to his head and was looking slightly frustrated.

"What is it now?"

Glancing up, Naito gave him a tired expression.  "You DO remember who the Dark Magician _really_ is, right?  Please tell me you remember at least _that_ much?"  Upon seeing Yami's clueless expression, the younger brother let out another sigh.

"Your advisor.  Priest Mahaado?  The Spirit-Sorcerer?"

"Sounds like you haven't quite recovered from the trip yet, Naito," Yami replied.  He rolled his eyes.  Obviously, this delusion of his was yet another result from the trip to the Shadow Realm…right?

"On the contrary--he is telling the truth, Yami."

Yami turned suddenly to see a purple-armored figure standing before him, long strands of deep violet hair sticking out from under his pointed magician's helmet.  All of his armor was edged in a deep lilac color, his torso and legs covered by a long, dark purple tunic.  He also held a pale green staff in his right hand, while Maha Vailo stood to his left, smiling amusedly.

"Naito, I was hoping you'd let him discover that information on his own," the duel monster stated sternly, both pairs of blue eyes meeting before the prince shrugged calmly.  

"Hey, it's none of my concern if something is supposed to be predestined or not.  I'm just here to help Onii-chan here find his little prince."

"Really?"  The Dark Magician raised an eyebrow in surprise.  "Out of the goodness of your heart, I suppose?"

"Sure--one last favor before I kill him; I think that's pretty generous, don't you?" he shot back, busying himself by brushing off a piece of lint that had gotten on his silver-sparkled, black sleeveless shirt.

Mahaado sighed, shooting a brief glance at the Duel Monster at his side.  Vailo shrugged, muttering, "It's nice to know some things never change--right, koi?"  Shaking his head, the Dark Magician looked back to face a both stunned and very confused Yami, who looked ready to explode with questions.  However, before one word could escape the pharaoh's lips, the once-priest raised a hand to silence him.

"Yami, no doubt you have recovered your memories of your life in Ancient Egypt, but you are having problems in terms of actually calling them up, correct?"

His mouth halfway open in forming a question, Yami's jaw quickly shut as he nodded slowly.

"I am sworn by a spell long ago never to reveal your past to you--you must unlock it yourself."

"But…"

"Trust me, Yami Amun-Re--they will come to you.  The Shadow Realm works in mysterious ways.  I think it would be safe to say that you shall have all of your memories intact and easily called upon by the time you leave here."  

Smiling slightly, Mahaado looked over to Maha Vailo, reaching for his hand and giving it a quick squeeze before turning their attention back to the two brothers.  "Now, Vailo here has told me that you required my presence?"

Yami, who had been in deep thought, looked up suddenly.  "Mahaado," he started urgently, surprising the magician, "we need your help.  Our hikaris are trapped here; we must find them as soon as possible," he said quickly, indicating both himself and Naito.  "I don't know how Merodi will fare down here, but Yugi is in grave danger!  We must find him and get both of them out of here!"

The two magicians stared, as if not quite believing what they were hearing.  "W-what did you say?" Maha Vailo asked quietly.

Naito threw his hands up in the air, cursing.  "Ra!  Does NO ONE listen to me around here?  I said at the beginning that we were here to find Yugi--what, you guys thought we were down here on vacation or something?"

The Dark Magician, ignoring the prince's remarks, stood there for a moment, dumbfounded.  He looked to his companion quickly, as Vailo suddenly went pale, his eyes wide with concern.  

"Yugi-sama…."

Quickly grabbing the magician by the shoulders, Mahaado whispered softly, "It's alright, Vailo--we will find him.  You would know if he was dead, yes?"  Seeing the magician nod, Mahaado gently let go before his eyes steeled themselves once again.

"Maha Vailo," he commanded as the duel monster stood at attention, "You know Yugi better than anyone--see if you can't find him, quickly."  With a smart salute, Vailo nodded quickly before running off in the opposite direction, quickly disappearing into the pitch.  Mahaado watched him go for a few seconds before turning back to Yami.

"I will go and inform the others.  Though this is a dangerous place, both you and Yugi have many friends here.  These are the night hours, presently--I will return in the morning to give you a report, and we will continue the search together.  Until then, I suggest you stay here and rest for the night--you will both need your strength for tomorrow's exploits."

At this suggestion, Yami turned furious.  "Stay here?  You want me to stay here while my aibou is currently at the mercy of Ra-knows-what, or is possibly _dying_ simply from the prolonged exposure of being in such a place?"  Before he could say any more, however, Mahaado raised a hand once again.

"If I am not mistaken, both you and your brother have both been in a bit of a scuffle before getting here, correct?  In fact, both of you were using the sword spell which I had warned you specifically never to use, which is why all four of you are down here now, yes?"

Yami's eyes widened.  "So it was you," he said quietly, remembering the voice he had heard only moments before in a memory.  The magician nodded his head, placing a hand on the pharaoh's shoulder.

"It is not your fault.  I knew that something of this nature would happen, I just never knew when.  In any case, rest.  You underestimate the perseverance and tracking abilities of Gaia and the Celtic Guardian--we will find Yugi, trust me."

Looking the past-priest straight in the eye, Yami nodded silently as Mahaado prepared to depart.  After reciting a few words, Mahaado lifted his now-glowing staff to trace a shimmering green circle in the air next to him.  A large, semi-translucent portal opened before him.  As he walked towards it, he stopped and turned to the brothers one last time. 

"Once I have informed the others, I shall send someone to find you and alert you on what is to be done next.  Mark my words, Yami--we will find him."  Turning back to the threshold without another glance, Mahaado stepped through as the gateway sealed behind him, leaving Yami and Naito alone once again in the desolate wasteland.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"'Uh oh'?  What do you mean, 'Uh oh'?!"  Merodi asked nervously.  She turned to Yugi, who seemed temporarily rooted to the ground.  "Yugi, what's going on?"

Yugi responded slowly, his eyes as wide as Kuriboh's.  "Um, Merodi?  Do you see those two glowing red eyes in the middle of the dark over there?" he said as he pointed out in front of them.  Merodi looked up, her eyes widening as well as she saw what he was pointing at.  Sure enough, two slanted slits of light pierced the darkness, staring right back at the trio as it growled once again, much louder this time.  

"I don't know what it is, but that's usually not a good thing.  Got any ideas of how to get out of this?" Yugi asked, never averting his gaze from the hidden danger.

"…how does running sound?" Merodi suggested, her voice slightly edged with panic.  

"Kuriboh, can you provide a defense for us?"  Yugi barely looked up as he saw the furry creature squeak his approval.

"Ok, running it is," he muttered.  "On my mark, ready?"

The others nodded.  Yugi and Merodi stood, tensed and ready to run with Kuriboh prepared in front.  They could hear the creature's menacing growls grow louder still, its rancid breath becoming noticeable and pungent.  As the red eyes were growing bigger with the creature's approach, it suddenly stopped as if to ponder what to do next.  

"NOW!" Yugi yelled, as he and Merodi turned and ran, taking advantage of the monster's indecision.  Yugi could hear thousands of squeaky Kuriboh voices behind him as the attacking creature roared in annoyance for having let his prey get away.  As they ran through the dark mists, praying not to run into anything else, he took a look over his shoulder to see what had happened.  

The poor Kuribohs were being thrown left and right as they tried to block the monster from getting through.  Kuriboh had multiplied himself in order to help their escape – usually such a move would require a magic card, but here in the Shadow Realm, he already possessed the ability to duplicate.  But even as all of the fuzzy, green-footed creatures mobbed on top of it, the creature managed to throw them off and began chasing Yugi and Merodi, sharp pincers opening and closing eagerly as it roared.  

Eyes wide, Yugi turned back to Merodi.  "Come on, run faster!" he yelled as they cut through another purple cloud, "We've got to get out of here, or we're dead!"

"I know, but-" Merodi cut off her statement as she spied the earthy-looking creature behind them with it's menacing teeth, claws, and horns.  "Oh God, what is that?!"

"It's a Man-Eater Bug; now, hurry!" Yugi yelled back, picking up the pace.

The two companions continued speeding through the black void, their only concern being that they stay away from the creature chasing them, rather than direction or obstacles.  To make things worse, Yugi was tiring fast as his prolonged exposure to the Shadow Realm started to noticeably sap his energy.  Suddenly, Yugi tripped as the pair ran through another shroud of mist, landing roughly on the cold ground.  Surprised, he let out a slight exclamation, causing both Merodi and the rampaging Duel Monster to stop and turn their attention towards him--one in shock, the other with glee as it began to stalk its prey.

"Yugi!" Merodi cried, her heart pounding furiously in her chest as she ran back to him.  Shaking off the sudden fall, Yugi quickly made to get up and run as the huge creature drew closer.  As he tried to do so, however, he realized with a sinking dread that he couldn't go any farther--the Shadow Realm had seriously drained his energy; without help, he couldn't stand.

The Man-Eater Bug also seemed to realize this as it grinned, several rows of sharp, jagged teeth revealing themselves in the eerie light of the land around them.  As Merodi was about to reach Yugi to help him up, the oversized insect suddenly jumped, launching itself high into the air to land right in front of the two desperate teens.  With its left pincer it swung a powerful blow to Merodi's stomach. The impact sent her tumbling a great distance, no longer able to interfere.  Opening the right pincer, the monster slammed its claw into the ground, its grip straddling Yugi's torso, leaving him pinned.  The insect creature continued to grin as the child tried to free himself in vain.  Though he was slightly drained, this one was full of delicious magical energies; his kind and caring soul would taste delicious.  Drool soon began to drip from the monster's mouth, its left pincer clicked happily above the boy's head.  Noticing the bug's quiet growling, Yugi stopped struggling and looked up.  His amethyst eyes widened with fear as the creature prepared to strike.

[Goodbye, Yami….]

Merodi sat up, groaning as she put a hand over her stomach where the creature had hit her.  As she looked up, her silver eyes suddenly noticed the scene with horror--the Duel Monster had Yugi pinned down with one claw, the other one in the air aiming to kill.

"No!" she yelled, jumping to her feet.  She raced towards the scene, but to no avail.  Though she was running as fast as she could, the Duel Monster had knocked her too far away--she would never get there in time.

The monster raised the sharp claw above his head, bringing it down swiftly to strike its prey.  Eyes wide, Yugi stopped struggling.  Merodi screamed.

"YUGI!  NO!"

************************************************************************

…Haha!!  Is that a cliff-hanger or what??  *beams*

{{*smirks*  Hai, hikari – I have taught you well.}}

Don't kid yourself, Naito.

{{*sigh* You're right – no one, no matter how much training they have had, could ever match my brilliance.}}

*mutters*  'Stupidity' is more like it….

{{*fumes*  Why you-}}

*holds out candy bar*  Hold it, 'yami' – chocolate.

{{*eyes sparkle*  Ooooooh…..@_@}}

Heh heh – yep, got him trained pretty well-hey!

{{*grabs chocolate and runs*}}

*shrug*  Oh well.  Stay tuned, folks – hopefully it won't be another month before the next chapter comes out.  In the meantime, send me your ideas for the title change!!  Ja ne!

{{*walks in with half-eaten candy bar*  Hikari, why does it say 'Exlax' on the side of the package here?  O_o?  }}

*snicker*


End file.
